UC-NRLF 


GIFT   OF 


NN 


Qjxcotft  ing  to  t$e  fiatyg  of  (jta^ute 


(J 

T^otfter,  QBe^fe^em 
Corpotdtton, 


HAVE  YOU  READ  THE  IMPORTANT  BOOK  ON 


BY  FRED  U.  WEISS 


May  be  ordered  from  the  Publisher  or  the  Emporium,  San  Francisc 
John  Wanainaker.  Philadelphia— Baker  &  Taylor,  New  York 
A.   C.    McClurg   &   Co,,  Chicago— or   through  any  book  store 


HARR  WAGNER    PUBLISHING  Co. 

239    GEARY   ST.,  S.  F.,  CAL. 


PRICE,  50  CENTS 

FOR    SALE    At    BOOK    STORES 


/ 


^C^er^t^JS^^j^^^^ 


v< 


PUBLISH 

HARR  WA 

239   Gl 


Our  Human  Rights 

According  to  the  Laws 

of  Nature 


PROGRESSIVE  THEORIES  ON  LAW 
AND  GOVERNMENT 


By  FRED  U.  WEISS 

Shipyard  Worker,  Bethlehem  Shipbuilding  Corporation, 
San  Francisco,  California 


Printed  for  rixe  A-jtKor 

HARR  WAGNER  •  PUBLISH/NO  COMPANY 

SAN  FRANCISCO 

CALIFORNIA 


Justice  vs.  Injustice 

The  Laws  of  Man 

vs. 
The  Laws  of  Nature 


Why  and  hot»  they  should  conform 
for  the  general  Welfare. 


(Copyright,  1919) 

FRED  U.  WEISS 

ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED 


Contents 


Page 

Introduction 5 

The  Dreamer  6 

Loyalty  7 

The  Natural  vs.  the  Unnatural 7 

A  Suggested  Amendment  to  Our  Constitution  or  a 

Reaffirmation  of  the  Preamble  Thereof 8 

The   Future  Industrial   Republic 9 

What   is    Law? 11 

Centralized  Government  12 

Prohibition   Laws  and   Legislation... 13 

Interlocking  Government  Control 14 

Citizenship    16 

Woman   Suffrage   17 

Government    Ownership    of    Utilities,    Mineral    Re- 
sources, Etc 18 

Labor  Organizations  29 

Courts,  Campaign  Funds,  Etc ; 31 

Aid  to  the  Deformed 32 

The  Day  Is  Near 34 

Lawyers    35 

Our  Soldiers  and  Sailors 39 

Confiscation    40 

Non-Partisanship    44 

Special  Privilege  45 

Secret  Societies  49 

Family  Responsibility  50 

Chanty    51 

Nature's    Laws    52 

393420 


CONTENTS— Continued 

Page 

Parasites  52 

The  Strike  ...... 53 

Murder    54 

Mooney  Case 54 

The  Irish  Question  55 

Aliens 56 

Confiscation    57 

Americanization 58 

Human  Nature 59 

The  Fool's  Paradise 59 

Franchise  Restriction   59 

Labor  Leaders  in  Politics 60 

Collective   Bargaining  60 

The  League  of  Nations 61 


Introduction 

Be  it  known  that  all  my  work,  writings,  ideas,  the- 
ories and  objects  are  for  the  advancement  of  the  human 
masses,  in  a  sane,  orderly,  educational,  progressive  man- 
ner, without  resource  to  any  extreme  radical  or  revolu- 
tionary methods.  I  honestly  believe  that  this  can  be 
accomplished  in  a  country  already  organized  and  con- 
stituted as  is  ours,  the  United  States  of  America,  by 
intensive  and  sensible  educational  methods  along  these 
lines.  I  hereby  declare  that  none  of  my  ideas,  writings 
or  theories  shall  be  used  for  radical  or  revolutionary 
propaganda  with  my  consent,  and  only  in  orderly  de- 
bate for  better  and  more  humane  and  just  laws  and 
conditions  for  all  alike. 

My  motto  and  object  shall  be  to  do  the  most  good 
for  the  most  people.  I  believe  that  all  laws,  decisions 
of  all  courts  and  the  very  constitution  itself  should  be 
based  on  that  motto.  This,  then,  would  constitute  just 
government,  as  just  government  is  only  obtained,  by 
the  will  and  with  the  consent  of  a  majority  of  those 
governed,  providing  always  that  such  majority  is  prop- 
erly and  fully  informed  of  their  just  rights  in  everything 
by  proper  education.  People  would  not  be  deceived,  mis- 
represented and  exploited  as  continually  and  generally 
done  at  present,  in  such  open  and  flagrant  manner  by 
our  deceptive  system  of  government,  officials,  our  laws 
for  Special  Privilege  and  exploitation,  if  properly  edu- 
cated. 

FREDERICK  U.  WEISS. 


The  Dreamer 

Might  of  the  roaring  boiler, 
Force  of  the  engine's  thrust, 
Strength  of  the  sweating  toiler, 
Greatly  in  these  we  trust. 
But  back  °f  them  stands  the  thinker, 
The  builder  who  puts  things  through, 
Yet  back  of  them  all  is  the  dreamer. 
Making  the  dream  come  true. 

— -Author  Unknown. 

Note. — Titled;  and  copied  from  side  of  pay-shed,   at  Union   Plant,  Union 
Iron  Works,   San  Francisco,  Cal. 


WITHOUT  AN  IDEA, 
NOTHING  WOULD  BE. 


Loyalty 

All  governments  that  expect  the  full  measure  of  jus- 
tice and  loyalty  from  all  their  subjects  must  also  give 
the  full  measure  of  justice  and  loyalty  to  all  their  peo- 
ple, and  this  can  only  come  about  by  government  by 
and  according  to  the  laws  of  nature  interpreted  by  in- 
telligent, scientific  methods  and  sound  and  sensible  rea- 
soning to  harmonize  the  various  conflicting  elements  so 
prominent  in  human  beings. 

The  Natural  vs.  the  Unnatural 

Would  it  be  natural  for  parents  with  many  children 
to  give  unto  a  few  of  them  only  the  best  of  clothes, 
food,  to  be  in  idleness,  allow  them  to  seek  pleasure,  to 
travel  and,  above  all,  allow  them  to  attend  school  reg- 
ularly, also  high  school,  and  later  the  universities,  while 
to  the  rest  or  majority  of  their  children  or  offspring  they 
would  give  little  or  poorer  food,  less  or  poorer  clothing, 
less  opportunity  for  pleasure  and  recreation,  less  oppor- 
tunity for  essential  education,  thereby  bringing  them  at 
maturity  far  apart  from  one  another?  Then  at  the  death 
of  the  parents,  would  it  be  natural  that  the  wealth  pro- 
duced and  accumulated  by  the  parents  and  the  majority 
of  the  children,  most  if  not  all  of  which  came  from  those 
of  the  family  that  got  the  least  and  worked  and  pro- 
duced the  most,  be  left  in  greater  proportion  or  in  its 
entirety  to  the  few  already  favored  so  much  in  and  dur- 
ing the  life  of  the  parents?  Would  these  things  be  nat- 
ural or  unnatural?  I  would  say,  as  most  all  of  you  would 
who  can  reason  justly,  that  it  would  be  the  unnatural 
way  or  contrary  to  the  laws  of  nature.  Now  the  point 
of  the  argument  or  the  lesson  to  be  learned  or  the  ob- 
ject to  be  attained  is  that  we  go  and  live  and  act  and 
govern  according  to  the  natural  way  or  in  accordance 
with  the  laws  of  nature.  Are  not  the  above-mentioned 
methods  and  ways  of  our  governments — are  they  not  all 


I  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

unnatural?  Do  they  not  do  the  very  things  so  unjust 
in  the  family  or  family  life,  and  seldom  if  ever  done  in 
the  family?  Do  not  most  and  just  parents  try  to  pro- 
portion as  near  as  possible  an  equal  opportunity  in  the 
rearing  of  their  children?  Is  it  not  natural  and  just  that 
they  should?  Our  governments  of  greed,  exploitation 
and  special  privileges,  by  ignoring  these  laws  of  nature, 
sensible  proportion,  efficient  laws  and  methods,  do  all 
the  unnatural  things  we  consider  so  unjust  in  the  family 
life.  The  government  keeps  most  of  its  family  of  citi- 
zens in  want,  in  poor  clothes,  in  poor  or  insufficient 
food,  in  poor  health,  because  of  improper  natural  con- 
ditions. There  are  discontent  of  mind,  strife  and  fric- 
tion with  one  another  caused  by  its  unequal,  unnatural 
methods  in  giving  to  a  few  of  its  citizens  an  excess  of 
idleness,  pleasures,  clothes,  food  and  all  the  essentials 
and  luxuries.  These  essentials  were  proportioned  ac- 
cording to  the  laws  of  nature;  they  would  make  for 
the  governments,  and  of  the  governments,  the  harmon- 
ious families  and  family  life  so  much  desired  by  all. 
While  the  real  family  life  is  continually  getting  more 
discordant  and  inharmonious  because  of  our  unnatural 
laws  and  governments,  related  as  they  are  and  should 
be,  they  naturally  influence  either  for  harmonious,  just, 
and  natural  ways,  or  inharmonious,  unjust  and  unnat- 
ural ways,  just  so  as  we  progress  collectively  or  react 
or  retreat  individually  or  collectively. 

A  Suggested  Amendment  to  Our  Constitution  or  a 

Reaffirmation  of  the  Validity  of  the 

Preamble  Thereof 

It  is  hereby  agreed  that  the  Constitution  of  our 
Government,  and  all  its  future  laws  and  legislative  en- 
actments, as  well  as  those  of  any  part  thereof,  shall  be 
based  upon  the  common  and  general  welfare  of  all  its 
citizens  and  the  rule  and  will  of  the  majority  thereof, 
and  that  all  former  laws  and  legislation  in  conflict  here- 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  9 

with,  as  intended  already  by  the  preamble  of  our  Con- 
stitution (mentioning  the  general  welfare),  shall  be  here- 
by deemed  as  illegally  passed  or  upheld,  and  that  the 
United  States  Supreme  Court  be  advised  that  the  fun- 
damental laws  of  our  land  shall  be  based  on  the  afore- 
said amendment. 

The  Future  Industrial  Republic 

/  offer  the  following  for  the  reader's  approval  and  deep 
thought. 

Platform  and  fundamental  principles  of  the  future  Industrial 
Republic  : 

1.  A  non-partisan  government. 

2.  A  just  normal  system  of  government  and  laws 
for  all  alike,  the  common  and  general  welfare,  and  the 
rule  and  will  of  the  majority. 

3.  The  gradual  elimination  of  all  special  privileges, 
eliminating  the  worst  and  most  unjust  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible without  direct  or  unjust  confiscation. 

4.  The  direct  ownership  and  control  of  all  utilities, 
mineral  and  natural  resources,  governmentally. 

5.  The  efficient  and  successful  management  of  all 
collectively-owned  government  property  by  a  merit  sys- 
tem of  advancement  for  efficiency  only,  and  a  perfect 
and  just  civil  service  system,  appointment  of  the  highest 
eligible  on  the  list  first  without  unjust  substitution,  and 
reduction  in  rank  for  inefficiency  or  misconduct. 

6.  The  national  referendum,  initiative  and  recall. 

7.  The  proper  protection  of  the  lives  and  property 
and  the  collective  maintenance  of  workers  in  distress  by 
a  proper  governmental  insurance  system,  thereby  elim- 
inating poverty,  charity,  and  dependence  on  others,  at 
a  nominal  cost. 

8.  A  just  system  of  proper  control  of  all  govern- 
mental officials,  their  easy  replacement  and  elimination 
for  dishonesty,  corruption  and  inefficiency,  also  a  method 
for  the  easy  detection  of  those  who  wilfully  and  delib- 
erately misrepresent  their  trust  and  thereby  injure  thou- 
sands instead  of  one  or  a  few  individuals. 


10  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

9.  A  just  and  proper  recognition  of  the  natural  laws 
and  the  equal  rights  of  all  collective  or  individually  to 
life,  liberty  and  happiness  without  individual  trespass, 
against  the  common  welfare  of  all. 

10.  A  strong  centralized  government  with  uniform 
laws  throughout  the  nation,  for  all  objects  affecting  the 
common  and  general  welfare. 

11.  Fewer,  better  paid  and  more  efficient  officials, 
and  merit  for  efficiency,  such  as  advancement,  proper 
pensions,  etc.;    also  more  efficient  legislative  methods, 
to  eliminate  the  unjust  and  unnecessary  delays  and  tech- 
nical interferences. 

12.  A  compulsory  national  school  system  and  laws 
for  just,  equalized  educational  facilities  and  opportun- 
ities for  all  children  alike  up  to  a  prescribed  age;    also 
government   aid   and   control   of  all   nonsectarian   high 
schools,    colleges,    universities,    etc.,    nationalizing    and 
Americanizing  these  for  the  higher  and  better  education 
of  all  without  narrow,  small-minded  restrictions  for  class 
preferment,  as  under  the  present  endowment  system  and 
methods;    also  proper  aid  and  assistance  for  scientific 
research,  free  from  all  small  or  narrow  restrictions,  as 
all  future,  just  and  efficient  governments  will  surely  be 
scientifically   managed   according   to   justly   interpreted 
natural  laws  and  customs. 

13.  The  proper  protection  of  the  mind  and  body  of 
the  young  folks  and  their  development  by  adding  phys- 
ical  and   mental   exercise    and   training;     also    athletic 
courses  and  gymnasiums  to  our  public  schools,  a  system 
of  medical  and  dental  observation  and  care  for  the  con- 
tinued   health    of    all    children,    restrictive    child    labor 
laws,  etc. 

14.  The  gradual  realization  and  understanding  that 
no  government  or  the  representatives  of  no  government 
have  the  right  to  give  in  perpetuity  anything  or  any 
rights  or  privileges  that  by  natural  law  belongs  to  all 
the  people  collectively,  and  that  such  rights  and  prop- 
erty be  kept  in  trust  by  any  government  or  its  represen- 
tatives for  the  common  and  general  welfare  of  all,  and 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  11 

to  preserve  the  rights  and  privileges  therein  for  the 
as  yet  unborn  future  generations  of  men  and  women. 
Therefore  private  and  perpetual  ownership  of  essential 
property  cannot  and  should  not  be  made  perpetual  and 
should  be  only  tolerated  in  the  end  for  the  common 
or  general  welfare  of  all. 

15.  Equalized  national  woman  suffrage. 

16.  The  regulation,  adjustment  and  control   of  all 
labor  conditions  by  law,  thereby  eliminating  friction  and 
strife,  and  the  causes  therefor,  maximum  hours  of  labor 
defined  in  the  various  trades  and  crafts;   also  minimum 
pay  therefor,  with  shorter  hours  and  more  pay  for  the 
very  hard,  hazardous,  devitalizing  or  very  exacting  work 
of  either  mental  or  physical  requirements  of  either  sex, 
a  half  holiday  weekly  for  workers  to  attend  or  arrange 
their  home  or  personal  affairs,  and  the  Sunday  or  a  day 
in  the  place  therefor  for  those  unable  because  of  essen- 
tial or  necessary  occupation  to  rest  thereon,  allowing  to 
Sunday  laborers   increased  compensation;    also   proper 
and  just  laws   and  provisions  for  essential,   necessary 
overtime   in  cases   of  emergencies,  but   such  overtime 
should  not  be  encouraged  or  permitted  in  detriment  to 
health,  nor  when  excess  unemployment  prevails;    also 
proper  control  and  observation  of  everything  pertaining 
to  labor  and  the  welfare  of  toilers,  governmentally,  as 
labor  is  and  was  the  first  and  will  be  the  last  and  chief 
essential  of  everything;   capital  is  now  and  always  was 
only  a  by-product  of  labor  whereby  the  fruits  of  labor 
are  continually  unjustly  distributed  by  special  laws  and 
privileges  for  the  benefit  of  a  few,  a  small  minority, 
against  the   welfare   and   contentment   of   the   masses, 
thereby  exploited  and  deprived  of  their  just  rights  and 
proportional  compensation. 

What  Is  Law? 

Law  is  Power.  It  is  two-fold — first,  the  laws  of  na- 
ture, and  second,  the  laws  of  man,  or  man-made  laws. 
The  laws  of  nature  and  the  laws  of  man  should  har- 
monize, instead  they  conflict  in  every  way  and  manner. 


12  OUR   HUMAN   RIGHTS 

.The  laws  of  nature  are  those  laws  by  which  nature 
rules,  the.,  universe,  and  of  which  we  and  everything  in 
the  universe  are  a  part ;  the  laws  of  man  are  those  laws 
by  which  men  rule  their  fellowmen,  and  are  continually 
and  generally  opposed  and  in  conflict  with  natural  ways 
and  methods. 

The  laws  of  nature  are  fixed  or  permanent,  to  a  cer- 
tain extent,  while  the  laws  of  man  are  ever  changeable, 
Resisting  or  abusing  nature's  laws  means  natural  pun- 
ishment or  natural  decline  physically  or  mentally ;  as- 
sisting nature's  laws  means  natural  life,  natural  living, 
health,  advancement,  progress.  Resisting  the  laws  of 
man  means  prescribed  punishment  for  the  offense  pro- 
hibited, often  in  unjust  proportion  to  natural  laws  or  in 
direct  conflict  therewith ;  harmonizing  the  laws  of  man 
with  the  laws  of  nature  means  peaceful,  harmonious 
and  just  government,  as  one  influences  the  other. 

Studying  and  solving  the  laws  of  nature  means  pro- 
gressive enlightenment,  or  scientific  advancement  to 
higher  ideals. 

Centralized  Government 

Discussing  the  decision  of  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court  in  the 
Child  Labor  Decision. 

This  decision  seems,  to  my  mind,  not  well  taken,  or 
else  there  must  be  a  change  in  our  constitution  or  its 
interpretation,  according  to  its  (the  constitution's)  pre- 
amble prescribing  the  general  welfare.  Why  should  each 
state  have  conflicting  laws  on  such  vital  issues  as  child 
welfare,  on  which  is  based  our  future  life  and  welfare  of 
all?  Wouldn't  it  be  reasonable  and  sensible  to  suppose 
that  Congress  had  the  right  to  supersede  all  conflict- 
ing laws  on  such  vital  issues  as  child  welfare,  local,  state 
or  national,  with  one  harmonious,  sensible  law  for  all 
the  nation,  for  the  interest  and  welfare  of  all  American 
children  on  a  just  and  equal  basis,  no  matter  what  part 
of  our  common  country  they  happen  by  no  fault  of  their 
own  to  be  in?  Why  should  not  such  law  provide  the 
regulatory  perquisites?  Whether  it  prevent  shipment  of 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  13 

articles  made  by  child  labor  in  opposition  to  the  laws 
of  one  state  or  another,  or  not,  but  it  seems  to  me  a 
bill  could  carry  the  proper  penalty  making  the  further 
requisities  practically  unnecessary.  Does  it  not  seem 
foolish  to  have  so  many  conflicting  state  laws  or  laws 
in  general  on  such  vital  questions,  which  surely  are  not 
state,  but  national  in  scope,  involving  the  common  and 
general  welfare  of  all  and  the  very  fundamentals  of  our 
government,  such  as,  for  instance,  the  right  of  franchise, 
the  right  to  vote  or  cast  elective  ballots,  the  rights  of 
citizenship,  the  very  fundamental  essential  and  the  foun- 
dation of  democracy  and  republican  institutions — should 
not  this  be  uniform  throughout  the  nation?  Then  the 
marriage  and  divorce  laws,  inheritance  laws,  all  vital 
national  problems — should  they  not  be  controlled  and 
regulated  by  sensible,  reasonable  national  laws  instead 
of  the  many  conflicting  local  and  state  laws?  How  much 
easier  would  it  be  for  citizens  to  understand  uniform 
laws  and  regulations  than  the  mass  of  conflicting  legal 
nonsense  in  every  different  section  and  locality  of  a  na- 
tion with  common  objects  and  ideals. 

Prohibitive  Laws  and  Legislation 

It  is  not  the  use,  but  the  abuse,  of  these  things  that 
causes  a  community,  state  or  nation  to  pass  prohibitive 
laws  against  the  individual  liberty.  Prohibitive  and 
compulsory  laws  and  legislation  are  necessary  and  de- 
manded also  to  uphold  and  enforce  the  laws  of  nature. 
It  is  not  to  restrict  the  liberty  of  individuals  so  much 
that  such  laws  and  regulations  are  passed,  but  to  pro- 
tect the  collective  welfare  of  the  community.  Few  if 
any  would  care,  though  they  should  do  so,  what  be- 
comes of  the  individual  unable  to  judge  when  he  or  she 
has  had  sufficient  of  something  that  is  harmful  if  over- 
balanced, while  not  so  if  moderately  or  sensibly  used, 
but  they  soon  care  or  interfere  as  they  should,  by  law 
or  legislation,  when  such  individual's  incompetency  in- 
terferes with  others  or  their  own  liberty,  happiness  and 
welfare.  When  such  individuals,  in  the  abuse,  instead 


14  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

of  use,  of  things,  become  intolerable  to  others  and  abuse 
and  misuse  the  privileges  and  rights  of  others  unable  to 
defend  or  protect  themselves  by  and  through  various 
circumstances  of  relationship,  etc.,  it  is  these  conditions 
that  force  and  bring  about  prohibitive  legislation,  espec- 
ially when  all  restrictions  and  regulatory  measures  and 
methods  have  failed  of  results. 

Interlocking  Government  Control 

The  proper  control  nationally  over  local  and  state 
institutions  and  officials  and  their  supervision  for  cleaner 
and  better  local  and  state  government,  a  proper  mode 
of  easy  displacement  of  officials  charged  by  petition  of 
a  responsible  number  of  qualified  citizens  with  improper 
conduct  in  office  or  incompetency  should  necessitate 
their  removal  pending  investigation  and  trial,  to  be  su- 
perseded by  the  next  in  rank,  and  so  on  for  the  remain- 
der of  the  term  if  guilty,  or  to  be  returned  with  full  vin- 
dication and  no  loss  of  salary  if  not  guilty,  after  being 
tried  by  a  fairly  selected  jury  of  citizens  impartially. 
The  removal  in  communities  to  be  by  the  mayor 
or  highest  official  of  such  community;  likewise  the 
county,  state  and  nation;  all  to  have  a  fair  and  impar- 
tial trial  within  a  prescribed  time  limit,  omitting  all  tech- 
nicalities and  unnecessary  red  tape  and  delays,  if  such 
be  possible  with  our  present  human  material  and  our 
conflicting  and  varied  system  of  government  and  offi- 
cials in  our  boasted  democracy  of  equal  opportunity  and 
privileges,  which  does  not  exist  in  fact  because  of  our 
unjust  laws  for  greed  and  privilege. 

Only  selfish  politicians  and  dishonest,  inefficient  of- 
ficeholders would  oppose  the  proper  control  of  them- 
selves and  the  affairs  they  are  charged  to  keep  in  trust 
for  the  general  and  common  welfare  of  all,  the  same  as 
other  workers  are  controlled  by  their  superiors  in  all 
lines  of  work,  except  in  politics,  where  it  is  most  needed. 

It  is  our  government  and  our  legislators  who  make 
the  laws  that  are  responsible  for  charity,  poverty,  dis- 
ease, crime,  unemployment,  etc.,  and  all  harmful  and  un- 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  15 

necessary  excesses ;  in  proportion  to  the  bad,  poor  or 
indifferent  legislation  they  enact  and  enforce  the  man- 
ner in  which  they  repress  or  withhold  the  beneficial  or 
efficient  legislation. 

Most,  if  not  all,  the  miseries  of  life  can  be  entirely 
eliminated  instead  by  just  and  wise  legislation  and  the 
rest  can  be  made  entirely  harmless  and  insignificant. 

There  always  will  be  a  slight  difference  between 
humans — some  will  be  more  healthy  than  others,  some 
brighter  or  better  workers,  more  efficient,  etc. — and  to 
encourage  advancement  and  progress,  to  stimulate  am- 
bition, there  must  and  should  be  some  higher  emulation 
or  recognition  of  this  superiority.  The  extremes  of  our 
present-day  system  are  entirely  out  of  proportion  to 
sense  and  reason.  Better  education  and  legislation  along 
the  various  lines  of  progressive,  safe,  sane,  reasonable 
modes  of  living  and  more  just,  equalized  conditions  will 
surely  harmonize  or  standardize  humanity  to  a  more 
harmonious,  co-operative,  just  and  better  condition,  sim- 
ilar to  the  ancient  Greeks,  with  the  advantage  of  know- 
ing and  avoiding,  if  possible,  their  shortcomings. 

For  the  progressive,  successful  work  of  a  league  of 
nations  to  eliminate  war  and  the  recurrence  thereof, 
there  must  be  a  gradual  disarmament,  both  on  land  and 
on  sea,  in  all  countries;  there  must  be  a  spirit  of  har- 
mony among  the  nations  and  races  for  the  elimination 
of  racial  and  religious  hatred,  prejudice,  jealousy,  sel- 
fishness, etc.  These  must  give  way  to  nobler  efforts ; 
there  must  be  a  gradual  blending  of  the  national  aspi- 
rations of  all  to  a  fairer  and  just  distribution  of  the  vari- 
ous advantages  and  privileges  for  all  alike  along  just 
lines  for  the  welfare  of  all.  Just  as  individual  nations 
must  in  time,  and  that  very  soon,  be  governed  collect- 
ively or  according  to  natural  law  for  the  common,  col- 
lective welfare  of  all,  so  must  the  collective  nations  be 
internationally  governed  naturally  for  the  collective  uni- 
versal welfare  of  all,  and  the  surest  and  easiest  way  to 
attain  these  harmonizing  achievements  would  be  to  rec- 
ognize and  establish  one  common  and  general  language 
to  be  taught  in  all  nations  holding  membership  in  such 


16  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

universal  league  of  nations,  besides  their  common  or 
national  language,  thereby  giving  all  nations  a  common 
means  of  understanding.  This,  then,  would  be  the  be- 
ginning of  the  real  amalgamation  of  the  people  of  the 
universe  —  the  universal  melting  pot.  Such  language 
might  be  the  one  now  most  generally  used  by  the  most 
people  in  such  universal  league,  or  it  might  even  be  a 
better,  more  simplified,  easier  learned  or  understood  lan- 
guage than  any  now  in  existence,  to  be  used  for  all  com- 
mercial and  general  purposes,  of  correspondence,  for 
universal  convenience  throughout  the  world  to  replace 
in  time  all  the  now  diversified  languages  and  dialects, 
and  may  have  a  tendency  in  time  even  to  harmonize  the 
customs,  modes  and  methods  of  living,  etc.,  of  all  for 
the  common  good  by  introducing  and  exchanging  the 
most  enlightened  ideas  and  methods  for  the  common 
and  general  good  and  welfare  of  all,  leaving  all  future 
conquest  of  the  universe  to  science. 

Citizenship 

In  order  to  raise  the  standard  of  citizenship  to  higher 
standards,  the  laws  of  naturalization  should  be  uniform 
throughout  our  country.  No  person,  even  though  other- 
wise qualified,  should  be  allowed  to  exercise  the  right 
of  suffrage  if  unable  to  do  so  intelligently,  by  being  able 
to  fill  out  his  or  her  own  registration  sheet  or  card  giv- 
ing the  desired  information,  or  in  case  of  naturalization 
to  properly  mark  a  ballot,  thus  showing  where  the  many- 
marked  or  improperly-marked  void  ballots  come  from. 
A  general,  easy  and  uniform  method  of  balloting  should 
be  used  throughout  our  country  on  stipulated  dates  for 
all  communities  and  states  alike  throughout  the  nation, 
making  our  whole  suffrage  system  more  efficient  and 
economical;  also  a  general  national  system  of  registra- 
tion on  the  card  index  plan,  each  voter  to  fill  out  his 
or  her  own  registration  card  by  filling  in  the  answers 
to  printed  questions  about  once  in  five  years  and  to  no- 
tify of  change  of  address  by  personal  appearance  at  the 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  17 

registry  department  of  such  new  address.     This  would 
simplify  our  registration. 

National  laws  should  supersede  all  state  and  local 
laws  where  the  general  welfare  is  concerned — laws  of 
paramount  interest  collectively — and  such  laws  would 
then  be  uniform  and  easily  understood. 

Woman  Suffrage 

I  thoroughly  endorse  woman  suffrage  throughout  the 
nation,  as  it  has  a  tendency  to  purify  our  governmental 
system  and  raise  it  to  a  higher  plane,  intellectually,  mor- 
ally and  in  efficiency,  but  I  would  advise  women  voters 
as  a  whole  to  devote  a  little  more  serious  thought  and 
study  to  the  many  important  questions  and  problems  of 
the  day  in  which  they  are  and  should  be  vitally  inter- 
ested, and  necessarily  so,  as,  for  instance,  education  of 
the  children,  child  welfare,  sanitation,  health,  protective 
insurance  for  the  family,  taxation,  conditions  of  labor 
for  their  sex,  and  child  labor,  compensation  therefor, 
hours  of  labor,  etc. 

Our  general  system  of  politics,  our  officials  that  are 
in  office  or  those  seeking  office — all  of  these  and  more 
vital  questions  can  easily  be  assimilated  by  the  right 
kind  of  reading,  interesting  conversation,  study,  etc.,  in 
one's  spare  time,  too  often  wasted  in  foolish  and  even 
harmful  ways  by  many  of  the  fair  sex,  and  such  educa- 
tion for  better  laws  and  better  conditions  will  bring  in- 
terest and  dividends  for  the  whole  family  and  to  all 
concerned,  and  make  for  better  morals,  happier,  more 
contented  families,  and  happier  lives. 

I  suggest  that  we  raise  our  standard  of  amusements, 
entertainments,  dramas  and  picture  plays,  lectures,  etc., 
to  a  higher  moral  and  educational  plane  and  condemn 
and  censure  those  performances  of  harmful,  selfish  ten- 
dency for  gain  and  profit,  apt  to  have  demoralizing  ten- 
dencies on  our  young  and  future  generations,  and  that 
more  time  be  given  to  study  along  scientific,  sensible 
lines  of  the  raising  of  healthy  children,  their  proper  diet, 


18  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

sanitation,  exercise  in  the  open  air — all  of  which  are 
now  undisputed,  established  facts  for  a  new,  better  and 
healthier  race. 

I  should  also  suggest  a  pamphlet  of  proper  instruc- 
tions along  educational  lines  to  be  presented  to  each 
and  every  person  applying  for  a  marriage  license,  ex- 
plaining the  necessary  information  of  sex  hygiene,  rear- 
ing of  children  and  other  useful  information  for  the  often 
ignorant  and  bashful  newlyweds. 

I  would  also  advise  the  obtaining  of  pamphlets  along 
these  lines  from  our  Government  Bureau  of  Printing 
at  Washington,  D.  C. 

Government  Ownership  of  Utilities,  Natural 
and  Mineral  Resources,  Etc. 

As  we  are  now  entering  by  quick  strides  the  field 
of  governmental  ownership  and  control  of  utilities,  let 
us  look  up  to  and  into  these  various  utilities,  their  proper 
place  of  owneship  or  control  for  the  best  interest  of  all 
the  people,  and  let  us  reason  by  what  right  we  give 
away  our  collective  ownership  of  the  land  to  the  public 
streets  and  highways  for  individual  private  gain  and 
greed  for  the  special  privilege  of  the  few  at  the  expense 
of  the  many. 

Let  us  first  consider  the  railroads  now  under  gov- 
ernment control,  and  let  us  by  all  means  see  that  this 
control  shall  change  into  absolute  government  owner- 
ship, which  is  a  dire  necessity.  Whoever  had  the  right 
to  give  in  perpetuity  the  land  grants  to  these  same  pri- 
vately-owned railroad  corporations,  in  which  the  rights 
of  the  future  as  yet  unborn  generations  are  and  have 
been  sacrificed  without  a  choice  or  voice  in  the  matter. 
And  then  consider  the  crime  against  the  people  by  the 
credit  mobilear  of  the  early  transcontinental  railroad  ma- 
nipulations for  individual  greed  and  outrageously  unjust 
private  gain  and  those  large,  profitable  land  grants  to 
railroads  unjustly  given  by  past  co-partners  and  official 
tools  of  the  railroad  interests.  Is  there  no  redress  in 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  19 

no  way  to  get  back  to  and  for  the  people  that  which 
was  taken  away  from  them  by  unjust  and  corrupt  laws 
and  methods? 

Let  us  consider  a  more  than  fair  proposition  to  the 
present  stockholders  of  the  highly  -  watered  railroad 
shares  and  bonds  to  be  brought  about  by  a  proper  fixed 
valuation  within  a  fixed  time  and  an  exchange  at  a  pro 
ratio  in  equalized  value  for  government  railroad  bonds 
or  securities.  Then  we  could  redeem  these  by  and  with 
the  earnings  of  various  roads.  We  could  make  a  more 
just  and  proper  arrangement  for  the  many  thousands  of 
railroads  employees  by  granting  better  hours,  wages  and 
conditions,  as  the  earnings  and  profits  warrant,  instead 
of  making  more  and  more  excessively  wealthy  exploiters 
and  capitalists.  Better  service  would  be  inevitable  by 
government  management  and  more  humane  conditions 
of  labor,  and  in  a  reasonable  time  more  reasonable  and 
just  charges.  After  this  the  excess  profits  would  reduce 
taxation,  as  it  would  be  applied  to  some  non-productive 
department  or  expense  account  of  the  government. 

Next  the  telegraphs,  wire  and  wireless,  now  in  gov- 
ernment control,  should  by  all  means  remain  in  direct 
government  ownership,  as  is  now  contemplated  by  a  bill 
in  Congress,  as  a  part  of  the  postoffice  equipment.  The 
right  of  communication  and  intercommunication  was 
never  intended  and  never  should  be  in  individual  pri- 
vate hands,  as  it  is  a  collective  and  governmental  func- 
tion in  which  all  the  people  are  vitally  interested,  and 
which  becomes  a  dangerous  monopoly  if  owned  and 
controlled  by  private  interests. 

The  telephones  of  course  come  under  the  same  cate- 
gory as  a  public  utility  and  collective  essential  neces- 
sity for  all,  by  governmental  ownership  only,  that  this 
work  out  or  be  worked  out  for  the  benefit  of  the  inter- 
ested communities. 

Next,  a  proper,  just,  fair,  though  compulsory,  gov- 
ernmental insurance  system  for  the  protection  of  the 
health,  life  and  welfare  of  all,  along  the  lines  of  a  widow, 
orphan  and  old-age  pension,  and  insurance  against  dis- 
ease, accident  and  the  various  features  to  eliminate  de- 


20  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

pendence,  poverty,  charity  and  the  like,  is  a  very  neces- 
sary governmental  function ;  also  the  continuation  of 
the  soldiers'  insurance  governmentally  and  the  merging 
of  the  pension  system  into  one  governmental  function 
for  the  common  welfare  of  all,  is  very  essential. 

Then  we  come  to  the  retention  and  extension  of  our 
government-owned  merchant  marine — another  important 
and  essential  government  function,  in  co-operation  with 
the  railroad  system,  for  the  common  and  general  wel- 
fare. And  can't  the  government  hire  and  pay  the  best 
men  and  brains  to  run  and  operate  our  collective  util- 
ities efficiently  and  economically  and  more  successfully 
than  private  interests  for  the  general  welfare,  with  fur- 
ther investments  of  full  value,  without  over-capitaliza- 
tion and  stock-jobbing  and  stock-watering  methods? 

And  now  we  come  to  the  greatest  injustice  and  crime 
in  a  democratic  nation — the  giving  in  perpetuity  into 
private  hands  of  the  ownership  and  control  of  the  min- 
eral and  natural  resources,  the  collective  property  of  all 
citizens  of  this  country ;  also  the  large,  excessive  land 
holdings  and  grants,  no  matter  how  accumulated. 

Let  us  ask  you,  kind  reader,  if  you  were  the  owner 
of  a  large  piece  of  mineral-bearing  land,  no  matter  what 
the  nature  of  the  mineral,  and  you  at  the  same  time 
were  a  user  of  this  said  mineral — let  us  call  it  oil,  for 
example — which  your  land  contained  and  oil  which  you 
used  in  great  quantity  to  run  ships  with  or  to  use  in 
manufacturing,  if  you  should  deliberately  give  this  oil 
land  away  without  compensation  while  yourself  being  a 
large  consumer,  and  your  relations  called  you  incompe- 
tent and  had  a  guardian  appointed  to  manage  your  affairs, 
and  folks  called  you  insane,  which  no  doubt  you  would 
be  if  you  did  this — well  now,  answer  me,  does  not  our 
unjust  system  and  method  of  government  do  this  very 
thing?  Does  it  not  give  away  the  mineral  land  to  loca- 
tors just  for  a  recording  fee  covering  only  actual  cost 
of  that,  and  does  not  our  government  buy  back  this  oil 
for  its  ships,  the  coal,  the  iron,  the  steel  and,  in  fact, 
almost  everything  it  gives  away  for  the  benefit  of  the 
few  individuals,  it  then  buys  again  in  open  market  at 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  21 

increased  cost  over  what  it  could  obtain  the  same  from 
the  mineral-bearing  land  if  it  paid  men,  experts,  to 
locate  it/paid  high  and  just  wages,  and  labor  conditions 
and  hours  justly  arranged  on  a  high  standard  and  scale, 
without  strikes,  disorders,  excess  capitalizations,  stock- 
jobbing, etc.,  all  of  which  increases  the  cost  of  the  min- 
eral and  decreases  the  conditions  of  and  for  labor,  and 
besides,  the  land  and  the  minerals  would  involve  no 
first  cost  charged  in  the  private  corporation  at  a  high 
valuation?  Is  this,  then,  a  just  or  sane  method  for  a 
government,  while  for  the  individual  it  is  called  insane 
to  give  one's  property  away,  not  alone  without  right  to 
give  away  that  which  belongs  to  all  collectively  by  the 
supreme  laws  of  nature,  beyond  which  our  government 
or  its  representatives  have  no  right  to  go?  Is  our  gov- 
ernment, its  present  methods  and  laws,  competent  or 
incompetent  ? 

Now,  in  answer  to  a  counter-argument  that  might 
arise,  that  every  man  has  the  same  right  to  locate  a  min- 
eral claim,  let  me  show  you  otherwise.  He  may  have 
an  equal  right  to  locate,  but  no  chance  to  operate  with- 
out capital.  And  here  is  where  the  most  injustice  and 
inequality  of  our  system  comes  in.  You  can't  do  any- 
thing unless  you  go  and  see  the  money  changers,  who 
will  take  the  biggest  share  of  your  claim,  no  matter 
how  good  it  may  be,  to  finance  it  and  job  it  to  get  con- 
trol, without  hardly  any  risk  of  investment,  by  manipu- 
lations of  various  kinds. 

These  same  methods  hold  good  in  most  all  govern- 
mental resources,  in  which  we  are  by  nature  and  right 
all  collective  owners. 

These  and  many  other  laws  under  which  we  carry  on 
our  system  of  government  are  nothing  more  nor  less 
than  special  privileges  and  create  harmful  monopolies 
entirely  and  extremely  unjust  to  the  majority,  and  many 
others  of  a  like  nature  shall  be  fully  explained  and  ex- 
posed as  we  go  along. 

Let  us  now  see  if  I  could  not  enlighten  or  awaken 
many  of  you  sleeping  voters  and  citizens  in  regard  to 
your  local  affairs  and  rights,  especially  in  regard  to  mu- 


22  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

nicipal  ownership  of  the  transportation  system,  the  wa- 
ter distributing  plants,  the  lighting,  heating  and  power 
plants,  the  fire  insurance  systems,  etc.  Let  us  think  of 
the  ignorance  and  injustice  of  having  these  privately- 
owned  and  operated  at  such  excessive  cost  in  service, 
expense,  inefficiency,  political  corruption,  excess  valua- 
tion, overcapitalization,  etc.,  and  the  whole  basis,  foun- 
dation and  valuation  simply  rest  on  your  essential  col- 
lective consumption  of  the  commodities  for  sale.  Should 
you  as  a  body  today  leave  your  respective  communities, 
these  utilities  therein  wouldn't  be  worth  more  than  the 
scrap  contained  in  salvage  of  their  material.  Who,  then, 
creates  the  value  of  any  and  all  utility  but  you  all  col- 
lectively, and  who  is  the  one  continually  exploited  by 
the  private  corporations  unjustly  and  inefficiently  oper- 
ating these  utilities?  All  of  you,  individually  and  col- 
lectively. Why  tolerate  these  unjust  conditions?  Why 
not  pass  proper  laws,  condemn  these  utilities  for  the 
common  welfare  at  fair  and  just  valuation  and  pay  them 
out  of  the  profits  and  incomes  thereof?  Why  be  further 
and  longer  unjustly  exploited?  You  can  pay  men  to 
manage  these  utilities  just  as  good  and  efficiently,  and 
more  so,  at  just  valuation  and  capitalization,  by  collec- 
tive municipal  capitalization,  by  collective  municipal 
ownership,  and  real,  just  shareholders  will  be  better  pro- 
tected than  at  present,  and  instead  of  you,  Mr.  Citizen 
and  Taxpayer,  direct  and  indirect,  continually  paying 
taxes  or  assessments,  as  we  might  call  it,  you  might  in 
the  near  future  share  in  the  profits  of  these  utilities 
without  direct  investment,  by  making  your  community 
or  municipality  a  profitable  cellective  corporation  for  all 
its  citizens,  instead  of  a  continual  losing,  excess,  tax- 
ridden  community,  as  at  present,  and  thereby  draw  your 
annual  collective  dividends.  Do  your  private  corpora- 
tions that  take  the  profits  from  your  fire  insurance  sys- 
tems pay  your  fire  departments?  Wouldn't  the  profits 
easily  pay  these  fire  departments  at  even  reduced  insur- 
ance rates  by  cutting  out  the  waste  and  overhead  of  the 
various  competing  companies,  their  many  overlapping 
expenses,  etc.?  And  lastly,  shouldn't  they,  the  profits 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  23 

on  fire  insurance,  be  applied  to  the  upkeep  of  efficient 
fire  departments  and  apparatus  in  all  communities?  Do 
your  water  companies,  privately  owned,  pay  for  the 
drainage  of  sewer  systems  in  which  their  waste  or  used 
product  must  be  again  carried  off?  No,  indeed,  they 
don't.  There  is  no  profit  in  this  department.  If  it  were 
a  profitable  system,  private  greed  would  soon  have  it 
under  corporate  control.  Then  why  not  let  the  profits 
from  a  municipally-owned  water  system  pay  the  costs 
of  maintenance  of  the  drainage  system,  just  as  essential 
and  necessary  as  the  water  system  itself,  and  so  save 
the  taxes  and  assessments  of  and  for  drainage  and  have 
more  and  better  drainage  and  sanitation  instead  of  a 
few  excessively  wealthy,  very  harmful  individuals  to 
the  common  and  general  welfare,  and  these  unjustly  so, 
at  the  collective  expense  in  cost  and  service? 

The  following  is  self-explanatory.  Wouldn't  this  go 
a  great  way  to  help  pay  the  expense  of  government  and 
decrease  taxation  and  better  conditions  generally  for  all 
if  government  owned?  Wouldn't  and  should't  this,  our 
collective  wealth,  be  applied  to  our  national  debt  instead 
of  going  to  privileged  interests? 

TEN  BILLION  IS  YIELDED  BY  U.  S.  MINES  IN  TWO  YEARS 

Washington,  December  31. — More  than  ten  billion  dollars  worth  of  min- 
erals were  mined  in  the  United  States  in  1917  and  1918.  This  was  shown  by 
preliminary  estimates  for  the  year  combined  with  final  figures  for  1917,  made 
public  today  by  the  geological  survey. 

The  total  for  this  year  was  estimated  at  $5,160,000,000,  against  $5,011,- 
000,000  last  year  and  $3,513,972,000  in  1916.  The  output  of  metallic  prod- 
ucts, including  pig  iron,  copper  ferro  alloys,  lead,  zinc,  gold,  silver  and 
aluminum,  was  valued  at  nearly  two  billions  of  dollars.  ( 

Here   is   a   statistical    statement   of   co-operative   advance   in    Italy   as   pre- 
pared for  The  Daily   News  by  members  of  the   Italian  labor  mission: 
In  1910  co-operative  societies  numbered  4222;  membership,  817,529. 
In   1916  the  number  was   8421   and  the  membership    1,500,000. 
(These    co-operatives    embrace   insurance,    handling    of    consumption,    pro- 
duction and  labor.    In  addition  there  are  3000  co-operative  credit  societies 
and  2725  co-operative  rural  savings  banks.) 

Rural  co-operatives  composed  of  tillers  of  the  soil  and  farmers,   1386. 
Industrial  Co-operative  associations,   1108. 

In   1916   industrial  leagues  numbered  2626,   and  agricultural  leagues  2544. 
Summed    up,    there    are    430,000    members    of    industrial    associations    and 
490,000  members  of  agricultural   associations. 

LAND    OWNERSHIP— WHO    OWNS    CALIFORNIA? 

The  Southern  Pacific  holds  five  million  acres  in  California. — U.   S.   Com. 

nmMiriler°n&    Lux   own   most   of   San    Joaquin   River;     they    hold    14,539,200 
acres. — Times. 


24  OUR  HUMAN  RIGHTS 

In  Sacramento  Valley  one  hundred  men  own  17,000,000  acres. — 
U.  S.  Report. 

Miller  &  Lux,  Spreckels,  and  Weyerhauser  interests  own  more  acres 
than  there  are  in  the  German  empire.  On  such  private  land  empires  rests 
the  Prussian  Junker  caste.  Autocracy  grows  out  of  land  monopoly. 

Less  than  3  per  cent  of  California  people  own  90  per  cent  of  the  land 
and  resources. 

The  above  printed  articles  will  show  that  we  are  far 
behind  in  progressive  government,  or,  rather,  just  and 
righteous  government,  for  the  common  welfare.  The 
large,  excessive  land  holdings  and  excess  wealth  are 
a  burden  and  an  unjust  imposition  on  our  collective 
intelligence.  Is  it  really  necessary  to  our  democratic 
institutions,  or  is  it  safe  for  their  future  maintenance, 
that  these  things  should  be  allowed?  Is  it  fair  to  the 
majority  or  to  our  own  future  generations  that  we 
allow  our  collective  resources  to  accumulate  into  so 
large  individual  perpetual  holdings? 

Now  commonsense  should  tell  us  that  our  cities, 
states  and  our  national  governments  must  impose  high 
direct  and  indirect  taxes  by  the  way  we  allow  special 
privilege  or  private  and  corporate  interests  to  own  and 
operate  for  their  own  and  selfish  interests  nearly  all  the 
paying  or  profitable  enterprises,  while  we  collectively 
as  local  states  or  national  governments  retain  the  un- 
profitable or  losing  enterprises,  and  therefore  are  taxed 
or  assessed  to  pay  the  losses  of,  or  costs  of,  the  losing 
enterprises,  while  the  interests  of  privilege  and  greed 
retain  and  continually  increase  the  profits  from  all  essen- 
tial collective  enterprises,  as,  for  instance,  water  sys- 
tems, transportation,  lighting  systems,  heat  and  power 
systems,  telephones  and  telegraphs,  wire  and  wireless, 
fire  insurance,  life  insurance — in  fact,  all  kinds  of  insur- 
ance, mining,  banking  and  other  industries  and  privileges 
of  profit.  These  they  hold  and  retain.  The  following, 
because  of  no  profit,  are  assessed  or  taxed  to  the  masses : 
Fire  departments,  police  departments,  health  depart- 
ments, public  works,  election  departments,  school  de- 
partments, parks,  playgrounds,  militia  service,  alms 
houses,  orphan  asylums,  insane  asylums,  feeble-minded 
institutions,  prisons,  reform  schools,  courts,  government 
buildings,  state  and  city  buildings  and  their  maintenance, 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  25 

various  commissions,  the  army,  the  navy,  legislative  and 
executive  departments  of  all  kinds  and  their  officers  and 
maintenance — all  non-producers.  These  they  leave  to 
us  to  be  taxed  for,  as  the  proportion  of  the  taxes  as- 
sessed to  the  interests  are  simply  added  to  the  products 
or  deducted  from  the  expenses  of  management,  meaning 
poor  service,  longer  hours,  less  pay  and  higher  costs  for 
everything.  How  can  it  be  otherwise  under  this  method 
of  distribution  and  system  of  government,  where  one 
side  continually  has  the  profit-making  machinery  and 
the  other  side  always  has  the  losing  or  expense-produc- 
ing machinery  of  government?  Let  us  wake  up  and 
share  the  profits  as  well  as  the  expenses,  and  if  there  is 
a  profit — there  surely  will  be  a  surplus — let  us  all  have  a 
share  in  that  surplus,  and  thereby  all  enjoy  that  which 
was  meant  for  all  in  a  real  democracy — the  pursuit  of 
life,  liberty  and  happiness. 

It  is  next  in  order  to  call  the  attention  of  the  think- 
ing voters  to  the  unjust,  outrageously  dishonest,  though 
perhaps  legal,  manner  by  which  nearly  all  our  corpora- 
tions are  financed,  how  much  actual  cash  or  real  value 
has  been  or  was  really  invested  in  the  first  instance  in 
nearly  every  one  of  our  large  corporations,  and  from 
where  and  from  whom  but  the  masses  collectively  ex- 
ploited do  the  large  profits  or  incomes  come  from.  What 
is  the  actual  value  of  most  corporations,  what  is  the  fic- 
titious value  of  most?  Many  times  their  real  value. 
Who  suffers  and  pays  for  these  discrepancies  but  the 
overburdened,  underpaid  and  ignorant  majority? 

I  would  also  suggest  that  the  police  department  be 
made  self-supporting  by  putting  the  burden  thereof  on 
those  for  whom  this  department  is  mostly  maintained 
and  continually  enlarged,  by  making  higher  fines  for  the 
infractions  of  rules  and  laws,  especially  after  several 
successive  offenses  of  a  similar  nature,  as  traffic  rule 
infractions,  licenses  of  public  places  where  police  regu- 
lation is  necessary,  as  dance  halls,  pool  parlors  and  va- 
rious other  tolerated  police  regulated  institutions,  higher 
court  fees,  etc. 


26  OUR  HUMAN  RIGHTS 

While  talking  over  various  of  the  theories  here  enu- 
merated with  a  gentleman  in  a  small  newspaper  office 
in  this  city,  he  suggested  that  all  land  should  be  gov- 
ernmentally  or  community  owned,  and  I  thoroughly 
agree  with  him.  Of  course  this  is  really  premature  and 
advanced  legislation  of  fifty  or  a  hundred  years  hence, 
but  let  us  reason  it  out  for  future  reference.  In  the 
first  place,  if  the  land  were  owned  by  the  community 
and  the  houses  also,  they  would  be  efficiently  kept  in 
repair  by  a  force  especially  kept  for  that  purpose.  They 
would  be  kept  in  a  sanitary  condition ;  there  would  be 
no  real  estate  taxes  and  excess  profits — these  would  go 
into  the  collective  fund  for  all,  as  the  city  or  community 
would  fix  the  rentals  just  as  the  assessor  fixes  the  taxes; 
a  great  deal  of  friction  and  legal  trouble  would  disap- 
pear; it  would  be  easier  to  move  to  other  states  or 
places — people  would  not  be  tied  down  as  at  present, — 
and  last,  wasn't  the  land  really  meant  for  all  the  people, 
or  for  only  a  few?  We  expect  every  man  to  fight  for 
his  country.  Shouldn't  that  man,  then,  have  real  in- 
terest or  part  ownership  in  his  country?  What  interest 
have  the  majority  of  workingmen  in  this  respect  in 
countries  today?  I  mean  tangible  interest,  not  empty 
phrases  that  mean  nothing.  The  majority  have  not  even 
a  sure  or  permanent  position — they,  then,  have  nothing 
but  doubtful  right  to  the  life,  liberty  and  happiness 
guaranteed  by  our  constitution,  and  this  liberty  is  con- 
tinually encroached  upon  in  various  ways  and  by  vari- 
ous methods.  If,  for  instance,  there  is  a  mechanic  who 
desires  to  join  some  organized  labor  bodies,  their  char- 
ters are  closed  or  restricted  or  have  clauses  clearly  vio- 
lating the  constitution  of  the  land  or  the  fundamental 
laws  of  the  government,  and  also  the  greatest  law,  the 
law  of  nature,  of  humanity  itself  (the  right  to  live). 
Where  is  that  man  if  this  method  is  not  soon  changed? 
It  is  said  to  him,  "You  can't  work  here,  you  don't  be- 
long to  the  union;  we  don't  take  any  more  members 
at  present."  He  is  then  between  the  devil  and  the  deep 
sea.  It  is  then  up  to  these  men  in  time  to  get  desper- 
ate, and  hateful  of  everything  and  everybody,  and  they 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  27 

then  form  new  extreme  societies  and  associations,  being 
driven  thereto  quite  often  by  extremes,  and  these  ex- 
tremes of  course  right  no  wrongs  either.  But  getting 
back  to  the  community  ownership  of  the  land,  the  big- 
ger the  population  of  the  community  working  in  har- 
mony for  the  general  good  of  all,  the  better  the  results  to 
all  of  the  people  of  such  a  community  in  just  conditions 
of  labor,  hours,  wages  and  health.  Houses  where  chil- 
dren were  welcome  and  arranged  for  would  be  provided 
instead  of  no  children  wanted.  They  would  and  should 
be  welcome  there  with  modern  and  up-to-date  ideas, 
amusements,  educational  facilities,  and  all  that  makes 
life  desirable;  the  rentals  would  be  fixed  at  a  reason- 
able, just  proportioned  sum;  there  would  be  no  exces- 
sive valuations  and  prices  paid  for  land  for  which  the 
original  purchaser  paid  little  or  nothing  and  which  the 
community  made  valuable  collectively  by  increasing  in 
population  and  development,  not  enriching  individuals 
with  no  ability  of  their  own. 

What  would  the  land  on  your  main  street  be  worth 
if  everybody  left  the  city  or  town,  or  what  was  the 
value  of  the  land  or  its  income  during  the  past  war  in 
the  abandoned  cities  or  towns  in  Europe?  You  wouldn't 
be  able  to  pay  10  cents  for  the  finest  store  on  the  main 
street  if  you  had  no  customers  or  purchasers.  Then 
who  makes  that  store  worth  high  rents  and  the  land 
valuable — the  landlord,  the  tenant,  or  the  people?  The 
customers,  the  purchasers,  of  course — who  else?  And 
what  do  they  get  for  it?  They  have  the  high,  excessive 
rents  added  on  what  they  use  or  purchase. 

Now  let  us  try  to  define  the  meaning  of  the  word 
Justice.  What  is  justice?  I  should  say  that  justice  is 
the  division  of,  or  the  enforcement  of,  everything  in  the 
most  fair,  equal  and  just  manner  possible,  and  practical 
for  all  alike,  and  the  nearer  we  come  to  the  enforcement 
of  this  rule  or  this  word  justice  along  the  lines  of  this 
definition,  the  nearer  we  shall  come  to  the  equality  of 
men,  the  equality  of  things  in  general,  and  the  elimi- 
nation of  extremes  in  everything,  and  I  am  positive  there 
would  be  no  mistake  if  justice  in  fact  were  based  on  this 


28  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

rock  of  truth  for  the  welfare  of  the  most  concerned,  for 
the  good  of  the  masses,  for  the  benefit  of  those  inter- 
ested, be  it  in  the  community,  state,  nation,  in  the  world 
at  large,  or  in  any  society,  organization  or  body  of  many 
interested  persons.  If  the  laws,  rules,  regulations,  ordi- 
nances, decisions,  etc.,  were  based  on  this  rule,  the  wel- 
fare of  the  majority  interested,  this  then  would  be  real 
justice  and  must  of  right  maintain  for  a  just  and  equal- 
ized government  for  all  in  the  end. 

Let  us  at  one  large,  grand  educational  sweep  elimi- 
nate the  political  cause  of  our  governmental  system,  by 
making  the  operation  of  all  necessary  and  essential  util- 
ities compulsory  by  the  communities,  state  or  the  gov- 
ernment for  the  benefit  of  all  the  people  and  thereby 
eliminate  a  large  part  of  the  graft,  favoritism,  excessive 
taxation,  unjust  discrimination,  inefficient  service,  un- 
wholesome, insanitary,  congested  and  overworked,  un- 
derpaid, discontented  working  people  and  living  condi- 
tions made  necessary  under  present  methods  of  exploi- 
tation for  private  gain,  by  privately  misfinanced  and 
mismanaged  utilities  corporations  on  watered  stocks, 
uninvested  capital,  to  pay  unearned,  excessive  profits 
and  dividends,  and  excessive  salaries  to  an  exploiting, 
dominating  small  majority  of  our  people;  all  of  which 
is  done  by  controlling  our  political  system,  and  its  offi- 
cials directly  and  indirectly,  and  having  enacted  laws 
and  ordinances  giving  preference  and  special  privilege 
to  a  few  at  the  expense  and  oppression  of  the  masses. 

What  our  government  also  needs  is  a  few  more  re- 
sponsible heads  of  departments  in  the  cabinet — for  in- 
stance, a  secretary  of  transportation  and  department 
thereof  for  the  railroad  and  marine  transportation,  etc. ; 
also  a  separate  department  of  labor  with  a  cabinet  sec- 
retary thereof,  uniting  the  department  of  commerce  with 
that  of  transportation.  Labor  in  all  its  many  and  impor- 
tant aspects,  the  most  important  function  of  all  govern- 
ments, is  surely  entitled  to  a  full,  real,  just  and  promi- 
nent place  in  any  and  all  governments,  and  it  is  really 
in  our  enlightened  day  unbelievable,  especially  for  a  de- 
mocracy, that  we  have  no  department  of  education  and 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  29 

secretary  of  education,  a  department  on  which  really  all 
government  is  founded  in  fact,  but  then  we  are  not  yet 
far  enough  advanced  in  real  democratic  government  to 
have  one  sensible  educational  system  throughout  our 
government  based  on  a  compulsory  national  school  sys- 
tem with  proper  laws  therefor,  eliminating  all  sectarian 
systems  during  regular  school  hours,  giving  all  an  equal 
standard  of  common  school  and  commonsense  education 
along  the  best,  most  modern  and  approved  lines,  thereby 
eliminating  and  avoiding  that  which  our  forefathers  of 
this  country  really  meant  to  eliminate  in  their  constitu- 
tion, sectarianism  and  class  distinction ;  otherwise  en- 
couraging all  manners  and  methods  of  conflicting  and 
hatred-breeding  systems,  and  methods  of  education.  Cer- 
tainly what  is  good  for  most  is  good  for  all. 

Labor  Organizations 

Labor  organizations,  as  well  as  in  fact  all  organiza- 
tions in  a  real  democracy,  should  make  their  by-laws 
and  charters  or  constitutions  harmonize,  or  at  least  not 
conflict  in  principle,  with  the  fundamental  laws  of  the 
land,  and  there  is  room  for  a  law  to  outlaw  all  organ- 
izations whose  constitutions  flagrantly  conflict  with  the 
spirit  of  real  democratic  government,  as  those  injured 
thereby  have  not  the  means  nor  the  time  to  seek  re- 
dress, though  the  unconstitutionality  in  many  instances 
is  so  apparent.  How  can  a  trade,  or  the  right  to  learn 
a  trade,  or  to  work  at  a  trade,  be  limited  providing  a 
person  is  willing  to  comply  with  all  just  and  reasonable 
rules  of  an  organization?  Still  some  organizations  in- 
sist on  a  closed  shop  limit,  and  deny  citizens  the 
right  to  earn  a  living.  Does  this  guarantee  the  right 
to  life,  liberty  and  happiness  which  our  National  Con- 
stitution guarantees?  As  a  member  of  long  stand- 
ing in  one  union,  and  now  in  another,  I  don't  question, 
but  I  claim,  the  right  of  all  labor  to  organize,  but  I  deny 
them  the  right  to  discriminate  against  each  other,  as 
it  conflicts  with  the  very  foundation  of  justice  and  fair 
play,  and  is  against  the  common  welfare.  If  anything, 


30  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

every  workingman  or  woman  should  be  encouraged  to 
belong  to  a  labor  organization  instead  of  being  ham- 
pered and  discouraged.  Why  encourage  a  labor  aris- 
tocracy which  of  reason  must  fall  and  fail?  Why  not 
a  sensible  organization  of  all  workers  politically  organ- 
ized and  aided  by  the  educated  intellectuals  or  brain 
workers  for  a  real,  just,  progressive  democratic  gov- 
ernment in  which  labor,  being  the  full  foundation  there- 
of, and  the  overwhelming  majority,  will  get  a  real  and 
just  portion  of  the  wealth  they  produce  instead  of  an 
occasional  bone  now  and  then?  If  we  also  had  sense 
enough  to  limit  our  higher  officers  to  two  terms,  we 
might  have  advanced  to  this  stage  already,  or  else  let 
us  make  some  of  these  labor  officials  perpetual  and  he- 
reditary, as  perhaps  they  or  their  names  might  die  out 
and  the  organizations  with  them,  if  not  either  or  both 
are  replaced  with  something  better,  more  advanced  and 
enlightened.  What  was  good  enough  twenty  or  twenty- 
five  years  ago  is  behind  the  times  today  and  labor  con- 
ditions are  evolutionary  like  everything  else ;  they  re- 
act, stand  still  or  progress.  Which  shall  it  be? 

How  often  do  we  hear  this  phrase,  "All  men  are  born 
equal."  Let  us  see  if  they  are.  It  should  read,  "All 
humans  should  be  born  equal,"  but  they  are  not.  Is 
the  child  as  yet  not  known  to  have  any  power  of 
choice  in  its  birth  or  parents,  born  equal  when  some 
have  a  better  start  physically  or  mentally  by  being 
born  of  good  parents,  and  if  not,  why  not?  Is  the  child 
to  blame  or  are  we  to  blame? 

Then  this  phrase,  "All  are  born  equal,"  to  have  its 
right  meaning  at  some  future  time,  enforces  upon  us 
collectively  a  system  of  laws  and  government  giving 
every  human  being  a  good,  healthy  body  and  mind  to 
start  life  with  and  then  proper  and  just  laws  and  their 
enforcement  that  we  may  not  get  too  far  apart  in  our 
present  system  of  individual  privilege  for  greed  and  gain. 
Is  this,  then,  an  equal  chance  and  opportunity,  or  an 
unequal,  most  unjust  hardship  to  be  born  in  poverty  of 
diseased,  neglectful  or  criminal  parents  and  then  com- 
pete in  this  furious,  unnecessary,  unjust  competition  for 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  31 

mere  existence  against  a  system  of  exploitation  and  spe- 
cial privilege,  deep-rooted  and  powerful  in  the  extreme? 
And  what  about  a  human  born  to  wealth,  privilege, 
power  and  domination,  none  of  which  he  helps  to  cre- 
ate or  attain,  but  still  inherits  by  accident  of  birth — is 
this  being  born  equal? 

What  is  conceded  to  be  good  for  one  ought  to  be 
good  for  all,  and  therefore  also  what  is  bad  for  one  is 
bad  for  all;  or  let  us  make  it  plainer.  If  long  hours 
and  small  pay  are  good  for  one,  why  not  for  all,  or  else 
the  reverse?  If  health  is  good  for  one,  try  to  obtain  it 
for  all  by  proper  methods ;  if  crime  is  bad  for  all,  try  to 
eliminate  it  for  all ;  if  excess  wealth  is  good,  why  not 
for  all  or  none?  If  poverty  is  good,  why  not  for  all? 
The  moral  hereof  is  a  normal,  more  equal  adjustment 
and  distribution  of  everything  for  the  contentment  of  all. 

Courts,  Campaign  Funds,  Etc. 

To  prevent  the  miscarriage  of  justice,  especially  in 
the  lower  courts,  and  even  in  the  higher  courts,  by  our 
methods  of  electioneering  for  these  judicial  offices,  I 
would  suggest  an  improved  method  of  conducting  all 
courts  by  fixing  of  a  minimum  and  maximum  fine  or 
punishment  for  all  offenses  by  establishing  a  code,  or 
statutes  numerically  arranged,  to  be  added  to  by  num- 
ber as  new  offenses  arise,  and  also  prescribing  the  rea- 
son or  cause  for  leniency  in  the  process  of  administer- 
ing justice.  This,  then,  would  practically  release  the 
judges  from  embarrassment  in  upholding  the  law,  giv- 
ing merely  a  small  leeway  for  favoritism.  Also  there 
should  be  no  campaign  fund  contributions  of  large,  ex- 
cessive sums,  or  might  not  this  whole  plan  of  campaign- 
ing be  put  on  some  sane,  just  and  sensible  plan  without 
the  use  of  large,  corrupt  sums  of  money?  Is  it  really 
necessary  to  spend  more  than  for  an  ordinary  advertis- 
ing campaign  of  short  duration,  explaining  the  candi- 
date's qualifications,  fitness,  honesty  and  integrity,  as 
opposed  to  the  plan  of  forming  campaign  clubs,  hiring 
halls,  speakers,  music  and  other  unnecessary  camouflage 


32  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

to  fool  the  voters,  whereby  a  few  get  advance  prom- 
ises of  positions  for  the  amount  of  voters  they  can  fool 
or  deceive,  or  else  promise  unjust  and  dishonest  prefer- 
ences, in  decisions  or  favoritism  at  the  expense  of  justice 
and  the  voters?  But  more  effective  would  be  the  lim- 
iting and  perhaps  some  time  in  the  future  supplying 
the  campaign  materials  equally  among  all  properly  qual- 
ified candidates  governmentally. 

Aid  to  the  Deformed 

I  suggest  a  national  law  of  justice  and  mercy  to  all 
deformed  or  crippled  persons  to  aid  in  their  rehabilita- 
tion where  possible  and  to  take  care  of  those  unable  to 
perform  labor,  by  a  pension  system.  Also  to  aid  all 
those  who  through  no  fault  of  their  own  are  incapaci- 
tated by  accidents  of  any  kind,  and  that  the  govern- 
mental employment  bureaus  aid  all  these  people  to  the 
lighter  positions  and  work  which  they  are  capable  of 
doing,  and  also  that  they  be  given  the  preference  of 
stands,  locations,  etc.,  for  selling  of  gum,  newspapers 
or  other  articles  at  the  various  places  governmentally 
owned  or  controlled.  This  would  be  a  better,  more  fit- 
ting method  and  system  than  beggars  and  deformed  de- 
pendents along  our  highways,  in  a  land  of  plenty,  and 
justice  to  humanity. 

Old  Things  Shall  Pass 

The  editorial  section  of  the  San  Francisco  Examiner, 
Sunday,  July  28,  1918,  editorial  article  "Old  Things 
Shall  Pass  Away,"  has  this  question:  What  advice 
would  the  statesmen  that  established  this  country  give 
to  their  country  if  they  were  here  now?  If  the  nation 
at  Washington's  tomb  could  consult  the  minds  of  Wash- 
ington and  Jefferson,  providing  both  could  review  the 
present  situation  and  see  beneath  the  surface  of  things 
political,  governmental  and  otherwise,  they  would  urge, 
to  begin  with,  first  a  compulsory  national  educational 
lawr,  along  the  common  school  plan,  to  guarantee  every 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  33 

child  throughout  the  nation  a  fair  education  by  state 
and  rural  aid,  irrespective  of  creed,  race,  color  or  na- 
tionality; and  all  sectional  education  be  given  after 
common  school  hours  up  to  certain  ages;  also  aiding 
non-sectarian  education  in  higher  schools,  colleges,  etc., 
this  to  provide  all  American-bred  or  born  children  with 
a  pure  Americanized  standard  of  education,  would  make 
better  citizens  for  the  future  welfare  of  the  common 
country.  It  would  also  eliminate  all  creed  hatred,  race 
and  sectional  feeling  and  all  the  distressing  propaganda 
and  the  narrow-minded  flocking  of  aliens  into  groups 
and  sections  to  the  detriment  of  our  common  country, 
and  would  be  only  fair  and  just  to  all  children  who  have 
no  choice  but  to  follow  the  will  of  their  parents,  even 
though  detrimental  to  themselves  in  later  years  by  in- 
ferior education,  knowledge  and  prejudices,  etc.  And 
furthermore,  I  think  that  both  these  great  Americans 
mentioned,  besides  many  others  of  their  day  and  times, 
would  be  disgusted  and  ashamed  of  our  present  condi- 
tions and  political  system  and  would  undoubtedly  en- 
dorse nearly  all,  if  not  all,  of  the  ideas  herein  stated  and 
would  work  with  might  and  main  for  their  enaction  into 
law  for  the  common  and  general  welfare  of  all  alike; 
and  their  spirit  is  surely  with  us  in  this  crisis  for  world 
democracy,  as  it  was  for  national  freedom  and  liberty 
in  1776. 

Since  we  are  beginning  to  think  in  terms  of  com- 
monsense,  justice  and  reason,  will  it  again  be  necessary 
to  tolerate  this  element  of  human  parasites  which  are 
now  being  put  to  useful  essential  labor  under  the  work 
or  fight  act,  or  will  we  cease  to  tolerate  the  disgusting 
conditions  and  surroundings  in  our  political  systems  of 
toleration  as  well  as  in  our  judicial  and  legal  system? 
Yes,  even  encouraged  for  dirty  preference,  gain  and 
power  in  some  instances.  It  is  this  toleration  by  the 
masses  or  majority  of  seemingly  disinterested  citizens 
that  helps  to  breed  this  unnecessary  human  element  of 
parasites,  like  the  other  extremes  of  excess  wealth  and 
idleness,  at  the  expense  of  the  majority  of  toilers.  Let 
us  make  them  all  do  honest  labor  or  starve,  for  it  is  the 


34  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

toilers  that  support  both  these  parasitic  elements  and 
endanger  thereby  our  home  life,  family  conditions,  our 
happiness  and  welfare  and  that  of  our  wives  and  chil- 
dren. Many  perhaps  are  indifferent  to  their  surround- 
ings and  that  of  the  community  through  illness  and 
overwork  because  of  these  conditions.  Let  us  never 
again  tolerate  these  conditions  after  the  war  for  the 
good  of  all — yes,  even  for  those  sacred  from  themselves 
and  the  weak-minded  saved  from  crime,  prison  and 
shame  by  the  abolition  of  this  nefarious  system  of  hu- 
man exploitation  of  fellow-beings  for  gain  by  poisonous 
drugs,  lust,  gambling  and  untold  other  methods  of  de- 
basement. The  drug  evil  might  be  almost  nullified  by 
proper  control  governmentally  of  its  manufacture  and 
sale,  keeping  close  watch  of  every  ounce  thereof.  I  also 
suggest  the  substitution  of  wholesome  community  af- 
fairs, dances,  entertainments,  etc.,  in  the  schoolhouses  or 
community  centers  attended  by  older  persons  or  under 
governmental  control  and  the  abolition  of  all  low  and 
vicious  congregation  in  so-called  respectable  places, 
which  are  only  too  often  the  first  stepping  stones  or 
starting  places  for  crime,  immorality,  degradation  and 
shame,  and  which  by  our  collective  toleration  bring 
the  blight  and  curse  of  the  system  to  our  individual 
homes  and  fireside. 

The  Day  Is  Near 

Be  there  a  man  in  all  this  land, 
Who'd  not  give  all  upon  demand, 
His  home  and  country  to  succor? 
If  this  is  what  he  gave  it  for — 
A  land  of  justice,  just  and  fair, 
To  everyone  and  everywhere, 
Where  special  privilege  held  no  sway, 
Our  land  will  some  time  see  this  day 
When  all  as  equals  side  by  side 
Will  share  their  sorrows,  joy  and  pride. 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  35 

Then  poverty  will  disappear 

And  excess  wealth  we  need  not  fear; 

Then  harmony  and  peace  will  reign, 

Ne'er  to  be  disturbed  again, 

By  those   who  through   injustice   ruled, 

By  unjust  laws  the  masses  fooled, 

Who  oppressed  and  exploited  all; 

These  are  the  ones  who  soon  shall  fall, 

Well  organized  the  ballot's  power 

Will  bring  for  them  the  fatal  hour. 

We  are  prone  to  say  that  we  choose  our  govern- 
ment and  its  officials,  or  that  majorities  elect  or  choose. 
It  is  really  too  bad  that  we  have  not  so  far,  or  seem  to 
be  able  as  yet  to  devise  a  system  in  which  majorities 
both  elect  and  control  their  government  and  their  offi- 
cials. As  it  is  now,  majorities  elect,  but  minorities  con- 
trol, and  in  some  cases  dictate  nominations  and  control 
through  the  deception  and  misrepresentation  of  the  elect- 
ing majorities  for  the  benefit  of  the  controlling  minor- 
ities. Need  minorities  dictate  legislation  and  control 
officials  if  we  control  both  sensibly  by  eliminating  spe- 
cial privilege  and  properly  pay  and  control  our  officials 
and  destroy  our  disgusting  campaign  system,  legislative 
lobbies  and  political  favoritism?  Could  we  not  treat 
and  control  our  public  servants  as  any  competent  em- 
ployees are  or  ought  to  be  treated,  and  controlled  by 
advancing  them  for  efficiency,  increasing  the  civil  ser- 
vice, and  improving  the  same,  and  then  holding  them 
to  strict  and  severe  account? 

Lawyers 

Why  shouldn't  lawyers  in  general  try  to  aid  in  mak- 
ing good,  wholesome  laws  for  the  masses  and  uphold 
the  same  instead  of  misusing  and  abusing  all  good  leg- 
islation by  injecting  flimsy  technicalities  in  the  making 
of  laws  as  well  as  in  their  enforcement?  Wouldn't  the 
first-mentioned  method  aid  in  their  preferment  and  ad- 
vancement in  political  endeavor?  Perhaps  when  the 


36  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

masses  awake  and  abolish  the  corporate  powers  in  pol- 
itics and  lawyers  must  look  to  their  real  masters,  the 
people,  for  preference  and  the  referendum  becomes  na- 
tional in  scope,  whereby  good  legislation  can  be  enacted 
and  enforced  by  the  people  directly,  will  the  legal  talent 
aspire  to  its  proper  place  and  scope  instead  of  grovelling 
for  preference  at  the  feet  of  the  minority  of  special  priv- 
ilege and  exploitation,  not  even  now  realizing  that  they 
and  their  minds  are  as  well  being  exploited  as  that  of 
their  fellowmen  for  the  benefit  of  a  selfish  minority? 
What  a  power  for  good  and  advanced,  progressive  gov- 
ernment could  many  of  our  bright  legal  lights  assert  if 
their  efforts  were  in  the  right  direction  and  if  they  used 
their  minds  and  knowledge  for  the  advancement  and 
benefit  of  their  fellowmen  in  general!  What  undying 
fame  could  many  of  them  achieve  instead  of  which  they 
mostly  hire  out  to  special  privilege  for  measly  and  in- 
significant gain  compared  with  the  harm  and  injustice 
they  accomplish  among  the  masses  of  their  fellowbeings. 
We  have  in  all  large  communities  and  in  some  smaller 
ones,  educational  institutions  for  vice,  immorality  and 
crime,  of  course  not  advertised  as  such,  but  such  never- 
theless. In  some  parts  of  our  country  they  are  already 
either  eradicated  or  properly  controlled  to  eliminate  the 
most  vicious  methods  and  practices.  It  is  high  time  they 
were  made  harmless  everywhere,  as  it  goes  to  the  very 
roots  of  our  government.  "As  you  sow,  so  shall  you 
reap."  Or  if  you  tolerate,  extend  or  increase  vice  edu- 
cation, you  must  reap  the  results  in  increased  inferior, 
unhealthy  humans  in  all  kinds  of  sexual  diseases,  etc., 
which  excesses  and  abuses  of  this  kind  bring  on,  and 
hand  down  to  the  coming  generations.  Now  the  low 
dives,  cabarets,  dance-halls,  music  halls  of  certain  kinds, 
are  the  common  schools  of  vice  or  the  lower  grades  for 
education  in  immorality,  vice  and  crime,  as  also  pool- 
rooms, gambling-dens,  etc.  Next  come  the  closed  pri- 
vate rooms  or  booth  restaurants  for  the  higher  educa- 
tion of  advanced  students  of  both  sexes,  and  later  we 
often  tolerate  the  transient  hotel  restaurant,  where 
rooms  are  easily  had  for  any  purpose.  If  any  writer  or 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  37 

scientific  or  medical  man  wishes  to  write  or  study  im- 
morality or  vice,  let  him  hire  out  as  a  waiter  in  the  kind 
of  places'  mentioned,  or  observe  the  methods  in  others 
where  this  work  doesn't  exist,  and  if  he  can't  write  a 
wonderful  book  after  about  a  year's  experience,  then  he 
can't  be  very  observant.    He  can  get  all  variety  of  color 
and  experience,  which,  if  but  a  small  percentage  of  the 
average  citizens  knew,  would  soon  be  obliterated  every- 
where.  And  who  pays  the  price  and  who  aids  in  the  tol- 
eration of  these  places  ?    Many  of  those  prominent,  seek- 
ing your  votes  for  high  offices,  are  under  obligations  or 
make  terms  with  cliques  and  gangs  that  profit  by  these 
institutions  at  the   expense   of   ruined   homes,   suicides, 
crime,  divorce,  and  often  murder  and  blasted  lives.     A 
little  more  enlightenment  along  these  lines  would  put  us 
right  on  this  score.     Sorry  to  have  made  a  living  in  this 
line  for  years,  but  then  by  paying  the  price  perhaps  I 
may  aid  to  save  untold  masses  of  the  future  from  ex- 
posure and  temptation  in  many  of  these  pitfalls  for  weak 
humans   or   innocents,    starting   on    their   first    so-called 
good  time,  and  to  find  many  of  the  so-called  respectable 
or  would  be  classed  respectable  among  those  afflicted 
or  profiting  thereby.     Perhaps  the  elimination  of  strong 
drink  and  secret  abodes  will  now  cure  some  of  these 
evils  and  places.     I  recognize  also  the  laws  of  nature. 
I  am  no  crank  or  reformer  in  the  narrow  sense,  but  I 
think  the  price  to  pay  for  future  generations  continually 
deteriorating   in    health    and    mind    and    body    demands 
something  sensible  to  cope  with  these  conditions.  There- 
for if  men  at  a  still  young  age  were  to  earn  good  and 
sufficient  wages  and  parents  would  not  be  too  much  de- 
pendent on  their  children  of  both  sexes  by  being  pro- 
tected by  a  proper  insurance  system  for  old  age,  disease, 
etc.,   and   employment   were    more   steady,   why   earlier 
marriage  of  the  young  people  would  regulate  the  natural 
desires  for  mating. 

What  is  the  Yellow  Peril?  It  is  an  as  yet  imaginary 
condition  that  can  be  brought  about  or  hastened  by 
propaganda  and  incitement  to  hate,  jealousy,  and  racial 
bickering,  and  a  condition  which  need  never  come  about 


38  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

by  the  use  of  commonsense  and  reason  of  those  who 
think  or  imagine  themselves  superior  to  the  Asiatic  peo- 
ple, which  they  may  be  in  some,  but  not  all,  respects. 
Whatever  superiority  the  white  races  possess  are  merely 
of  reaching  the  advanced  human  stage  of  the  present 
age  before  most  of  their  Asiatic  fellow-beings  by  the 
evolutionary  process.  The  remedy,  therefore,  to  elim- 
inate the  yellow  peril  is  educational.  The  education 
along  lines  of  progress  and  bringing  them  to  an  equal 
standard  of  thought,  living,  etc.,  to  our  own,  encourag- 
ing similar  standards  of  common  school  education  in 
their  respective  countries,  sanitation,  hygiene,  giving  all 
aid  possible  for  their  moral  advancement  along  lines  of 
one  commonsense  standard,  eliminating  all  propaganda 
of  missionaries  of  the  various  conflicting  creeds,  teach- 
ing instead  the  advanced  theories  and  findings  in  science, 
encouraging  scientific  research  irrespective  of  religion  or 
religious  beliefs,  until  we  of  the  white  race  ourselves 
agree  upon  one  sane  standard  of  religious  theory,  which, 
I  don't  think,  is  possible  or  even  necessary,  as  science 
will  very  shortly,  in  its  marvelous  advancement  and 
progress,  eliminate  many  of  the  foolish  impossibilities 
of  religious  teaching  of  the  various  conflicting  creeds 
and  sects  by  commonsense  education  and  the  proving  of 
advanced  facts  of  the  evolution  of  man. 

The  elimination  of  the  yellow  peril  remains,  then, 
merely  a  matter  of  education  to  bring  all  races  to  one 
sane  standard  of  thought  and  to  harmonize  the  minds 
and  bodies  of  the  various  races,  thereby  blending  the 
other  defects  until  they  entirely  disappear. 

Our  Soldiers  and  Sailors 

I  have  already  advocated  a  better  preferential  system 
of  civil  service  rules  favoring  our  soldiers  and  sailors  or 
those  who  have  served  our  country  and  have  been  hon- 
orably discharged,  and  even  those  who  are  not  blessed 
or  endowed  with  an  unusual  or  advanced  education 
could  be  shown  more  consideration  by  our  local  com- 
munities, who  might  easily  use  a  great  many  of  our 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  39 

returned  soldiers  and  sailors  in  the  municipal  civil  ser- 
vice, especially  in  the  police  and  fire  departments,  where 
a  good,  disciplined  force  is  very  essential,  as  also  phys- 
ical qualifications,  which  they  have  both  shown  to  ad- 
vantage. The  changing  of  rules  or  stretching  a  point 
for  their  welfare  is  a  better  welcome  than  cheers  for  a 
day,  then  no  work  and  no  pay,  and  that  is  what  every 
community  owes  the  boys  and  also  its  citizens  for  bet- 
ter protection  and  an  improved  force. 

Now  what  else  is  the  Army  and  Navy  than  a  na- 
tional protection  or  force  for  protecting  us  from  con- 
flagration and  attack?  And  furthermore,  who  gets  or 
needs  the  most  protection  from  our  regular  army  and 
navy — those  who  have  everything  or  those  who  have 
little  or  nothing?  And  why  should  not  the  men  in  the 
army  and  navy  be  paid  as  well  for  equal  or  more  work 
than  the  local  police  and  fire  departments?  And  why 
can't  they  be  paid  as  well?  Just  because  it's  done  from 
taxation,  which  hits  the  poor  the  most,  who  have  least 
to  protect,  by  the  process  of  adding  the  tax  on  the  com- 
modities for  the  consumer  to  pay,  just  as  the  landlord 
adds  the  tax  on  the  rent  and  thereby  still  maintains  the 
percentage  he  figures  on;  but  then,  if  we  used  the  min- 
eral and  natural  resources  or  income-producing  utilities 
and  paid  our  army  and  navy  from  the  profits  thereof  to 
protect  our  collective  wealth  and  resources,  a  fair  and 
just  wage,  I  suppose  the  interests  would  not  want  such 
a  large  army  or  navy,  nor  would  they  seek  war,  as  they 
would  have  to  stand  their  just  share  of  the  cost  without 
the  excess  profits  or  so  many  ways  of  putting  the  cost 
on  the  workers  by  taxation.  Let's  really  own  our  re- 
sources and  wealth  collectively.  Let's  be  the  richest 
nation  of  the  earth  in  fact,  and  act  not  in  a  catch  phrase 
which  means  that  the  wealth  of  a  few  men  in  our  coun- 
try is  greater  than  that  of  any  other  country;  or  if  it 
must  continue  thus,  let  these  few  hire  their  own  pro- 
tective force  and  let  us  see  if  men  will  continue  to  serve 
in  the  army  and  navy  for  the  present  wage  or  salary 
once  they  understand  that  they  are  protecting  the  ex- 
cessive wealth  and  private  resources  of  individuals  who, 


40  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

by  manipulation  and  special  privilege,  have  deprived 
them  as  well  as  their  fellow-workers  from  their  col- 
lective share  of  their  nation's  wealth  and  resources. 

The  toleration  of  creed  education  or  separate  schools 
for  minors  for  the  furtherance  of  any  individual  creed, 
:lass  or  propaganda  during  regular  school  hours  of  com- 
mon school  age,  is  undemocratic  and  should  be  abol- 
ished for  a  single  compulsory  common  school  system 
nationally  controlled.  It  would  do  a  great  deal  to  elim- 
inate the  system  of  religious  hate  and  jealousy  and  also 
class  distinction  and  racial  differences,  and  would  also 
aid  in  Americanization,  for  the  real  Americanism  of 
our  forefathers  who  founded  this  republic  did  not  in- 
tend any  distinction  along  these  lines,  least  not  in  its 
educational  methods,  or  they  should  not  have  stated  as 
much  in  the  Declaration  of  Independence  and  the  Con- 
stitution, and  if  we  must  tolerate  separate  schools,  why 
not  aid  the  various  races  and  creeds  to  do  the  same 
and  have  a  system  alike  to  the  Austro-Hungarian  of 
many  diversified  methods  making  for  continual  conflict 
instead  of  one  sensible,  sane  national  educational  school 
system  to  harmonize  and  blend  all  children  into  one 
harmonious  community  and  nation  for  the  common  wel- 
fare of  all,  and  this  would  be  only  fair  to  the  children 
without  voice  or  say  in  the  matter  whom  we  look  to 
for  better  laws,  progress,  harmony  and  the  elimination 
of  war,  etc.,  as  the  future  generation?  Can  we  do  it  if 
we  continually  educate  them  along  narrow  lines  of 
creed,  race,  class  or  other  distinctions,  instead  of  har- 
monizing them  into  one  harmonious  nation  with  com- 
mon ideals  and  objects? 

Confiscation 

Somewhere  in  the  press  I  have  seen  the  high  tax- 
ation of  war  profits  referred  to  as  confiscatory  or 
confiscation.  If  this  be  confiscation  by  the  process 
of  formulative,  sensible  legislation  in  the  interest  of 
the  masses,  for  the  winning  of  the  war  and  to  aid  the 
government  to  bring  the  same  to  a  speedy  and  success- 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  41 

ful  termination,  I  should  hold  it  not  merely  a  necessity 
but  an  act  of  just  legislation,  less  to  be  considered  as 
confiscation  than  to,  by  process  of  influenced  legislation 
without  the  approval,  knowledge  and  consent  of  a  ma- 
jority of  the  people,  nor  even  then  without  right  or  jus- 
tice or  power  to  do  so,  according  to  the  supreme  laws 
of  nature,  which  recognize  or  demand  merely  our  col- 
lective trusteeship  of  all  nature's  resources,  in  which  the 
future  generations  will  also  have  rights  and  ownership 
to  be  protected  by.  us ;  so  the  real  confiscators  are  those 
who  by  the  aforesaid  methods  give  or  take  in  perpetuity 
for  individual  heritage  that  which  by  nature  belongs  to 
all  at  present  and  those  still  to  come  in  the  future.  This, 
then,  is  injustice  and  unnatural  and  is  the  real  and  only 
confiscation  that  is  continually  taking  place  against  the 
common  and  general  welfare  in  mostly  all  governments, 
and  thereby  causes  the  extremes  at  both  ends  which 
cannot  long  endure,  when  once  people  are  educated  to 
know  their  rights  and  collective  ownership  in  the  earth's 
enormous  and  unlimited  resources  to  give  all  sufficient 
of  everything  if  but  sensibly  apportioned. 

How  is  it  possible  to  tax  the  rich  equally  with  the 
poor,  when  the  poor  have  nothing  to  tax  but  their  labor, 
which  under  our  present  system  stands  all  taxation  by 
the  mehtod  of  adding  the  tax  on  everything  the  laborer 
uses?  This  is  one  of  the  real  causes  of  the  high  cost 
of  living  and  reduction  in  the  purchasing  power  of  the 
dollar. 

If  the  tax  on  tobacco  goes  up,  you  pay  more  for  the 
tobacco,  not  only  the  tax  but  more  than  the  tax.  One 
cent  on  a  package  of  tobacco  means  millions  of  tribute 
to  the  monopolies  owning  it.  Deduct  the  tax  they  pay, 
and  there  still  is  an  excess  profit  over  former  times. 
The  tax  is  merely  a  good  excuse  for  excess  profits,  just 
as  a  raise  in  wages  of  10  per  cent  raises  the  commodity 
such  labor  produces  generally  30  or  40  per  cent.  Who 
gets  the  difference? 

One  of  the  biggest  and  most  essential  of  our  neces- 
sary utilities  so  far  overlooked  in  our  governmental 
ownership  and  control  plan  of  government  during  the 


42  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

war,  and  one  that  must  be  dealt  with  before  long,  and 
before  much  headway  can  be  made  in  a  just  and  equit- 
able democracy,  is  the  complete  government  ownership 
of  our  banking  system,  the  financial  root  of  our  entire 
governmental  system,  which  in  its  present  form  acts 
similarly  in  regard  to  the  savings  of  individuals  in  many 
ways  as  the  commission  merchants  and  commission  sys- 
tem acts  in  the  various  industries — by  taking  the  unnec- 
essary middleman's  excess  profit  and  adding  an  excess 
cost  of  maintenance  on  the  public.  How  simple  it  would 
be  for  the  government  in  the  ownership  of  the  banking 
system  either  to  finance  local,  state  or  national  enter- 
prises in  war  or  in  peace  time.  How  easy  it  would  be 
to  finance  ourselves  by  a  co-operative  banking  system 
in  which  our  collective  savings  and  resources  would 
work  for  all  and  in  favor  of  the  collective  efforts,  instead 
of  working  against  us  collectively,  enriching  and  financ- 
ing a  favored  few  and  oppressing  the  many,  as  banking 
in  private  hands  is  a  special  privilege  and  monopoly  to 
use  and  exploit  the  savings  of  the  masses  in  the  vari- 
ous communities  for  the  gain  of  the  few,  thereby  financ- 
ing the  various  enterprises  with  the  savings  of  the 
masses  collectively  for  a  small  rate  of  interest,  the  banks 
taking  the  middleman's  profit  and  the  enterprises  so 
financed  taking  a  further  profit  on  the  economies  and 
the  savings  of  the  masses,  too  often  underpaid  and  over- 
worked, and  then  putting  the  cost  of  all  loans  for  bonds, 
etc.,  and  the  interest  thereon  again  on  the  shoulders  of 
the  working  or  laboring  masses,  a  notoriously  unequal 
proportion,  on  account  of  the  manner  and  methods  of 
our  private  banking  system,  plus  the  added  cost  of  our 
approved  system  and  methods  of  jobbing,  over-capital- 
ization and  stock  watering,  all  of  which  legalized, 
though  unjust  and  dishonest  burden,  is  borne  by  the 
laboring  masses  because  of  their  ignorance  of  the  facts 
and  workings  of  our  various  financial  systems,  by  which 
we  tolerate  methods  and  conditions  long  obsolete  in  a 
progressive,  civilized  democracy  of  today,  when  by 
proper  education,  a  proper  organization  with  a  few  sane, 
sensible,  fearless  leaders,  with  the  aid  of  our  ballot,  we 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  43 

could  easily  adjust  these  conditions  to  the  benefit  of 
the  masses,  collectively,  and  if  the  government  had  the 
use  of  the  savings  or  the  full  control  thereof  by  the 
ownership  of  our  banking  system,  what  better  security 
could  we  have  for  our  savings  and  how  few  if  any  bonds 
would  it  have  been  necessary  to  sell  to  finance  the  late 
war — all  the  expense,  interest,  worry  and  friction  that 
would  have  been  saved  to  all  alike?  And  then  think 
how  much  more  interest  the  government  could  pay  by 
doing  away  with  the  thousands  of  costly  bank  buildings 
by  consolidating  them  all  into  a  few  in  large  cities  for 
convenience,  and  even  giving  the  smallest  rural  place 
the  convenience  of  banking  facilities  through  the  postal 
system,  saving  all  the  dividends  of  bank  corporations 
for  collective  sharing  in  profits  on  actual  investment, 
no  stockholding  directors  or  over-capitalization,  etc. 
What  a  waste  of  effort  and  efficiency,  against  the  gen- 
eral welfare. 

Excessive  wealth  individually  owned  and  controlled 
is  the  curse  of  humanity,  while  excessive  wealth  co-op- 
eratively distributed  in  its  various  forms  of  better  condi- 
tions, service  and  efficiency  would  be  a  blessing  to  man- 
kind collectively,  by  the  many  benefits  it  would  bestow 
to  all  alike  and  would  bring  us  nearer  to  sense  and 
justice. 

Ignorant  superstitions,  religious  intoleration,  is  the 
curse  of  all  governments,  and  though  claimed  otherwise, 
is  generally  found  working  hand  in  hand  with  autocracy, 
seeking  control,  dominance  and  power,  and  aiding  and 
seeking  special  privilege  in  all  its  nefarious,  mean  and 
selfish  ways,  at  the  expense  of  a  very  large  majority 
of  its  own  disciples  in  their  various  creeds  whom  they 
hold  in  ignorant  fear  under  their  power,  and  betray  at 
every  opportunity  for  self  -  aggrandizement  of  their 
higher  cliques  or  higher  councils,  as  dominating  and 
autocratic,  if  not  more  so,  than  any  tyrant  that  ever  ex- 
isted in  ancient  or  modern  times,  thereby  also  forming 
dominating  coteries  for  political  power  in  all  communi- 
ties irrespective  of  the  progressive  welfare  of  the  masses, 
leading  to  narrow,  selfish  government  all  over  the  world 


44  OUR   HUMAN   RIGHTS 

But  broad-minded,  liberal,  progressive  and  just  govern- 
ment can  only  thrive  and  prosper  by  the  absolute  total 
elimination  of  all  religious  interference  in  any  way  or 
form  in  the  earthly  affairs  of  humans,  or,  in  other  words, 
in  every  one  and  all  affairs  of  governmental  functioning 
and  education  along  these  lines  and  along  scientific  lines 
also,  which  so  plainly  show  the  evolution  and  ascent  of 
humans  from  the  lower  stages  of  living  organisms  and 
their  most  probable  return  again  after  disintegration 
in  death  and  in  reassemblance  into  body  and  mind  in  a 
continuous,  everlasing  process  which  has  been  going  on 
for  untold  centuries,  even  before  any  religion  was  per- 
haps ever  thought  of.  If  the  masses  were  to  study  and 
read  and  search  along  these  lines,  all  jealousy,  hate  of 
religious  creeds,  races,  classes  or  color,  would  soon  give 
way  under  the  commonsense  understanding  that  all  hu- 
mans are  evolved  along  the  same  lines,  and  it  would 
merely  be  necessary  to  harmonize  all  human  effort  to 
the  highest  point  of  efficient  co-operation  for  the  col- 
lective welfare  of  all,  which  would  leave  no  room  for 
war  and  destruction,  but  a  grand,  progressive  fellow- 
ship of  humanity  to  solve  nature  and  the  universe  by 
the  use  of  commonsense  and  reason  and  a  gradual  as- 
cent to  a  higher  state  of  human  conception  and  the 
future  conquest  of  the  universe,  and  the  planets  and  all 
there  is  in  space,  is  not  impossible  by  and  with  the 
mind  of  man. 

-  ? 

Non-Partisanship 

The  very  foolish  and  outlived  methods  of  election- 
eering and  party  affiliations  of  our  present  day,  in  which 
many  cling  to  a  political  party  alike  as  to  a  religious 
creed,  both  of  which  are  not  sensible  or  progressive, 
ought  soon  to  give  way  to  methods  of  choosing  the  most 
efficient  men  and  methods  to  frame  and  enforce  our 
future  progressive  legislation  for  the  welfare  of  all ;  and 
we  must,  therefore,  select  men  of  extreme  broadminded 
views  and  real  progressive  ideas,  irrespective  of  political 
or  religious  creed  or  racial  preferences,  so  often  used 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  45 

and  abused  for  the  benefit  of  parties  and  the  various 
controlling  interests  and  cliques  within  such  parties 
to  the  detriment  of  the  communities,  the  state  or  nation 
and  the  general  welfare  and  the  welfare  of  the  masses. 
Let  me  ask  right  here,  how  can  you  expect  the  average 
candidate  or  officeholder  to  justly  and  indiscriminately 
represent  all  of  a  community  fair  and  alike  when  he  is 
solely  elected  by  a  dominating  party  or  faction,  instead 
of  being  chosen  from  a  list  of  candidates  all  of  whom 
are  pledged  irrespective  of  party  affiliations  to  the  wel- 
fare of  all  if  elected,  and  who  if  then  elected  were  able 
to  select  their  assistants  for  efficiency  as  would  any  or- 
dinary concern  and  not  to  pay  political  obligations  irre- 
spective of  proper,  efficient  qualifications?  Perhaps  the 
time  may  come  when  commonsense  will  dictate  the  need 
of  a  better,  saner  method  of  choosing  those  we  desire  to 
represent  the  welfare  of  all  and  the  enforcement  of 
our  laws. 

Special  Privileges 

Another  favorite  method  of  exploiting  the  masses 
is  the  giving  by  our  government  of  special  privileges, 
which  oftentimes  turn  into  a  monopoly,  by  which  gen- 
erally a  few  private  individuals  benefit  and  profit  at  an 
enormous  cost  to  the  common  and  general  welfare,  and 
even  those  in  many  cases,  unable  to  protest — the  women 
and  children — must  suffer.  It  is  the  issuing  or  giving 
for  practically  nothing  the  exclusive  patent  rights  to 
manufacture  and  sell  articles  and  devices  and  control 
them  for  long  periods  of  time  to  the  exclusion  of  oth- 
ers. This  is  entirely  unjust  and  against  the  general 
welfare  and  could  be  greatly  improved  so  as  not  to 
injure  nor  destroy  the  rights  of  others  to  life,  liberty 
and  happiness.  Why  should  not  the  government  own 
and  control  all  patents  for  the  welfare  of  all  and  give 
the  actual  inventor  a  just  proportion  for  his  ability, 
which  he  now  seldom  gets,  and  is  at  the  most  often  ex- 
ploited or  entirely  robbed  of  his  rights  and  ideas?  And 
how  about  the  general  welfare  of  those  left  unemployed 


46  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

by  the  devices  and  patents  that  displace  labor  and  put 
men  and  women  out  of  work,  and  children  in  want,  and 
raise  the  cost  of  many  essentials  by  creating  patent  mo- 
nopolies on  various  articles?  Is  this  right  and  just  and 
for  the  common  welfare  or  against  it?  All  labor-saving 
devices,  if  owned  collectively  and  governmentally  by  all, 
are  excellent,  and  would  reduce  labor  and  hours,  but 
our  present  methods  work  just  the  opposite — they  in- 
crease production  and  reduce  labor  for  the  increased 
profits  of  capital  or  for  a  few.  How  long  can  this  go 
on  and  where  and  how  will  it  end? 

A  few  plain  questions  will  make  this  easier  to  un- 
derstand. What  would  you  do  if  you  had  100  hens, 
but  could  not  get  sufficient  food — just  about  enough  for 
fifty  hens — a  mere  supposition?  You  would  most  likely 
get  rid  of  fifty  hens,  most  likely  kill  them  for  market; 
but  if  you  had  100  workingmen  to  employ  and  thereby 
keep  them  in  food  and  comforts,  etc.,  and  there  were 
but  work  enough  for  fifty,  you  wouldn't  kill  the  other 
fifty — they  wouldn't  consent  to  be  killed, — or  it  also 
might  be  a  hard  matter  to  get  rid  of  fifty  by  discharg- 
ing them  if  there  were  no  other  employment  to  keep 
them  in  sufficient  food  and  proper  conditions.  It  would 
then  come  down  to  the  ancient  survival  of  the  strongest, 
also  unnecessary  by  sound  reasoning,  so  the  proper  and 
sensible  thing  to  do  would  be  to  use  simple  arithmetical 
proportion  and  keep  all  working  half  time  and  each 
would  have  to  economize  until  the  supply  of  work  were 
to  increase ;  but  that  would  be  the  best  solution.  Now 
what  I  am  trying  to  get  at  is  that  the  whole  question  of 
wages,  employment,  just  living  conditions,  etc.-,  are 
merely  matters  of  arithmetical  proportion  if  sensibly 
attacked  by  governmental  methods.  Food  and  plenty 
of  labor  and  everything  essential  for  all — nature  has 
provided  these  things  in  sufficient  quantities.  It  merely 
waits  for  us  fool  humans  to  get  to  some  sane,  sensible 
basis  to  fulfill  the  wants  of  all.  Let  no  man  think  that 
any  large  proportion  of  humans  anywhere  will  long  sub- 
mit in  our  present  day  to  starvation,  unemployment  or 
unjust  conditions,  while  some  of  their  fellow-beings  roll 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  47 

in  excessive  luxury  for  want  of  just  proportion  and  ad- 
justment of  conditions,  for  which  the  time  and  oppor- 
tunity are  now  ripe. 

It  seems  indeed  strange  that  as  we  read  history's 
pages  we  often  find  that  the  men  of  advanced  ideas  and 
thought,  only  often  in  late  years  to  become  established 
facts,  are  considered  at  their  time  to  be  mentally  afflicted 
and  are  often  scorned  or  belittled  by  those  of  less  sound 
mental  conditions  and  ignorance  combined,  than  those 
at  whom  they  sneer. 

Citizenship — what  is  it?  In  the  days  of  the  Romans 
it  was  a  high  privilege.  What  is  it  today  in  our  coun- 
try? How  is  it  encouraged,  how  ought  it  to  be  encour- 
aged in  the  future?  First  call  for  a  country's  defense 
or  extreme  loyalty  to  a  country  must  naturally  be  ex- 
pected from  its  native-born  citizens.  Now,  what  is  the 
least  the  native-born  citizen  should  then  expect  from  his 
country  in  return  but  first  call  or  preference  in  everything 
essential?  What  would  you  think  of  a  mother  who 
would  neglect  her  own  for  her  adopted,  or,  worse  still, 
for  her  neighbor's  or  strange  children?  You  would  think 
she  was  mentally  incapacitated.  Well,  now,  how  do  you 
value  your  citizenship?  Where  is  your  patriotism,  or 
even  of  what  use  is  your  honorable  discharge  if  aliens  or 
adopted  citizens  have  preference — if  you  are  unemploy- 
ed, your  family  in  need  or  want,  while  others  not  native 
born  are  in  prosperous  condition  by  having  the  positions 
that  you  can  fill  as  well  as  they,  are  they  not  then  taking 
your  place  at  the  family  table,  eating  your  food,  wearing 
your  clothes,  which  by  native  birth  belong  to  you  first  as 
a  matter  of  justice  from  your  country?  Do  other  coun- 
tries prefer  foreigners  to  their  native-born  citizens  in 
their  laws?  I  think  not.  So  at  the  very  least,  in  all 
governmental  work,  those  who  have  served  the  country 
should  have  first  call,  then  the  native  citizens,  next  the 
adopted,  and  last,  the  alien.  This  is  but  fair  in  every 
country  and  is  in  harmony  with  the  law  of  nature,  that 
parents  provide  for  their  own  first,  until  we  at  some 
time  in  the  future  become  one  nation  of  humans,  when 
we  will  then  all  be  citizens  of  one  universal  country, 


48  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

with  none  but  equal  preferences  for  all,  and  in  such  a 
state  and  at  such  a  time  our  present  ignorant,  conflict- 
ing systems  of  laws  and  conditions  of  discontent,  erratic 
and  extreme  opposites  in  everything,  will  have  com- 
pletely vanished  and  have  given  place  to  a  harmonious, 
collective  ownership  of  everything,  and  a  contented, 
happy  and  normal  state  of  human  existence  will  pre- 
vail on  earth. 

I  believe  a  citizen  who  protests  all  wrongs  and  in- 
justice in  the  country  of  his  birth  or  adoption  and  who 
by  proper,  legitimate  methods  of  education,  debate  and 
the  use  of  the  ballot  aids  to  improve  and  better  the  con- 
ditions for  all  alike,  by  exposing  such  wrongs  and  un- 
just conditions — a  better,  more  loyal  and  patriotic,  as 
well  as  more  useful,  citizen  than  one  who  acquiesces 
in  everything — is  continually  led,  reads,  thinks,  or  sees 
little,  or  knows  very  little  or  what  goes  on  about  him, 
votes  without  knowing  what  for,  boasts  of  his  country, 
thinks  its  laws,  etc.,  are  the  best,  when  he  doesn't  know 
how  other  countries  are  advancing  or  progressing,  de- 
fames all  those  who  are  trying  to  better  their,  as  well 
as  his,  conditions — stands  in  his  own  way  and  retards 
the  welfare  of  his  country  and  its  enlightened  citizens 
by  his  self-confident,  ignorant  loyalty  or  patriotism,  as 
dangerous  to  the  collective  welfare  as  that  other  citizen 
whose  patriotism  and  flag-waving  are  but  shams  to 
gain  unjust  wealth  and  profit  at  the  expense  of  his 
country  and  its  defrauded  and  deceived  citizenship,  and 
who  is  often  admired  and  honored  by  those  poor  fools 
who  cannot  see  through  his  game  or  aim  because  of  the 
way  things  are  manipulated  in  his  favor  at  their 
expense. 

The  author  of  this  book  will  be  pleased  to  answer, 
if  possible,  all  questions  in  relation  to  this  work  in  a 
future  edition,  if  considered  of  sufficient  moment,  or  will 
be  glad  to  answer  and  give  his  ideas  and  opinions  to 
those  sending  a  self-addressed  envelope  for  answer,  pro- 
viding sufficient  time  is  allowed  for  such  answers. 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURf 

Secret  Societies 

I  believe  that  all  secret  societies,  lodges,  organiza- 
tions, etc.,  are  undemocratic,  and  if  tolerated  the  char- 
ters and  constitutions  thereof  should  be  examined  and 
be  made  to  conform  to  the  government  constitution, 
and  all  organizations  should  make  their  constitutions  so 
harmonize  with  the  fundamental  laws  of  the  country  or 
be  disbanded.  This  does  of  course  not  mean  that  any 
meetings  of  organizations  shall  be  open  to  any  but  its 
duly  accredited  members;  but  should  we  admit  any 
lodge  or  organization  to  discriminate  in  the  essentials 
of  life,  liberty  and  happiness  of  our  citizens,  or  against 
the  collective  governmental  welfare?  Let  us  study  these 
matters  more  seriously.  There  are  many  societies  and 
lodges,  as  proved  in  the  late  war,  that  will  use  our  own 
territory  to  aid  others  or  aid  to  embroil  us  with  other 
countries  because,  though  they  are  beneficial  or  fra- 
ternal associations,  they  conduct  their  affairs  in  foreign 
languages  and  sometimes  have  other  objects  than  the 
consideration  of  the  welfare  of  the  country  and  people 
to  whom  they  owe  first  allegiance,  and  would  it  be 
right  to  bring  on  a  war,  or  conflict,  between  friendly 
nations  because  of  small  racial  factions  within  our  bor- 
ders ?  This  also  is  the  trouble  with  foreign  language 
papers  within  our  borders  who  hold  the  foreign  alle- 
giance of  superior  weight  and  importance  to  that  of  the 
country  in  which  they  exist.  I  therefore,  to  remedy 
these  evils,  suggest  that  all  racial  lodges,  societies,  etc., 
urge  their  members  to  attain  citizenship  and  if  possible 
to  conduct  their  business  in  the  American  language ;  and 
also  all  owners  and  editors  of  foreign  language  papers, 
weeklies,  etc.,  to  be  made  citizens  before  conducting 
such  educational  enterprises,  thereby  putting  them  un- 
der governmental  control.  These  ideas  are  merely  pre- 
cautionary for  Americanizing  alien  sentiment  and  to 
avoid  war  and  bloodshed  because  of  narrow  racial  feel- 
ings and  agitations.  They  are  not  to  hamper  the  free- 
dom of  opinion  or  the  press,  but  to  prevent  the  spread 


SO  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

and   use  of   racial   propaganda   for   selfish   purposes   of 
other  countries  and  nationalities  than  our  own. 

Family  Responsibility 

There  is  next,  another  problem  of  vital  importance 
to  all  communities  and  their  co-operative  welfare.  It 
is  the  responsibilities  of  parents  to  their  families,  and 
is  of  extreme  importance  to  the  whole  community.  This 
could  be  rectified,  at  least  the  responsibility  be  placed 
where  it  belongs,  instead  of  on  the  communities  and  the 
industrious,  efficient  members  thereof.  A  proper  court 
collector  or  guardian  elected  or  appointed  could  be  put 
at  work  and  be  maintained  by  a  percentage  or  fee  to  re- 
ceive all  income  or  earnings  of  those  physically,  men- 
tally or  disposed  to  be  unfit  to  take  care  of  their  earn- 
ings for  the  welfare  of  their  families,  leaving  their  wives 
and  children  in  want,  while  unnecessarily  wasting  their 
earnings  in  excesses  of  the  most  flagrant  kinds,  thereby 
passing  their  family  responsibilities  too  often  on  rela- 
tions, friends,  neighbors,  etc.,  and  causing  untold  strife 
and  misery  on  the  communities  in  which  they  are  toler- 
ated. This  is  unjust  to  their  families  and  even  to  them- 
selves if  they  were  fit  to  reason,  and  based  on  sane,  sen- 
sible, national  marriage  and  divorce  laws,  or  contract  of 
marriage,  that  should  be  lived  up  to  and  enforced  even 
as  any  other  just  legal  agreement- — no,  even  more  so, 
being  of  a  nature  on  which  the  morals  and  welfare  of 
civilization  itself  is  based.  Therefore,  this  is  a  fit  sub- 
ject for  just  legislation.  You  surely  wouldn't  let  a  great 
many  stray,  vicious  animals  at  large  in  any  community, 
yet  you  are  unconcerned  with  a  system  that  makes  and 
encourages  poverty,  crime,  disease  and  discontent,  quite 
often  unnecessarily  for  lack  of  the  proper  safeguards  of 
legislation. 

If  most  young  men  would  give  one-half  of  their 
spare  reading  time  to  the  interesting  news  of  the  daily 
press  instead  of  bestowing  it  all  on  the  sporting  page, 
they  would  become  better  versed  in  the  topics  of  life 
concerning  their  own  welfare  and  fellow-beings.  To 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  51 

be  only  a  second-rate  sport  is  a  very  poor  aim  of  citi- 
zenship, if  it  does  not  at  least  help  to  develop  your  own 
body  and  mind  by  being  an  active  athlete,  but  too  many 
of  the  younger  generation  develop  the  senseless  gamb- 
ling instincts,  so  harmful  later  on  in  life,  making  and 
keeping  them  slaves  of  chance  and  little  or  no  chance 
for  99  per  cent,  as  the  cards  of  the  game  are  all  stacked 
for  the  suckers. 

Charity 

The  continuous  begging  and  beggary,  daily  increas- 
ing in  the  form  of  so-called  charity  is  the  most  self- 
evident  and  most  disgusting  proof  of  our  lack  of  effi- 
cient government  in  this  and  most  other  countries.  It 
is  the  worst  indictment  by  its  continuous  increase  and 
spread  of  the  degeneracy  of  our  laws  in  this  distribution 
of  the  sufficient  collective  wealth  and  resources  of  na- 
ture, in  which  poverty  and  charity  need  and  should  have 
no  place  whatever,  and  it  is  of  the  most  evident  and 
necessary  importance  to  begin  immediately  with,  rem- 
edial legislation,  such  as  the  compulsory  insurance  for 
and  against  all  ills,  making  dependents  of  many  unnec- 
essarily, and  this  can  easiest  and  best  be  done  govern- 
mentally.  Next  in  importance  is  the  continual  and  grad- 
ual acquisition  of  all  utilities,  natural  and  essential  re- 
sources, governmentally,  for  the  collective  welfare,  and 
also  the  immediate  regulation,  control  and  distribution 
of  labor  by  governmental  laws,  of  maxim  hours  and  min- 
imum wages,  the  collective  ownership  and  regulation 
governmentally  of  all  labor-saving  devices,  machinery, 
etc.,  which  continually  decrease  opportunity  for  employ- 
ment by  increasing  the  output  and  production  without 
correspondingly  shortening  the  hours  of  labor,  and  in- 
creasing the  distribution  of  the  surplus  and  excess  pro- 
duction and  the  increased  profits  thereof.  These  are 
the  main  causes  of  our  growing  discontent,  poverty, 
crime,  disease,  unemployment,  demand  for  charity  in  all 
directions  and  generally  and  proportionately  most,  from 
those  with  the  least  surplus  or  savings,  demanded  and 


52  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

needed  for  their  own  immediate  wants  in  time  of  stress. 
Why,  under  a  just,  sane  system  of  government  and  the 
proper  distribution  and  general  ownership  of  resources 
collectively,  it  should  be  a  punishable  offense  to  ask 
charity  of  or  for  anybody.  Give  us  all  justice  and  keep 
the  charity  for  the  lower  animals,  as  yet  unable  to  rea- 
son, and  even  among  these  you  will  find  some  who  don't 
ask  or  want  charity,  but  store  a  supply  of  food  for  the 
time  when  nature's  extremes  prevent  their  easy  acquire- 
ment, as  food;  for  one  instance  (the  squirrel),  not  being 
well  versed  along  the  lines  of  animals  and  their  habits 
or  I  could  perhaps  mention  many  others. 

Nature's  Laws 

The  laws  of  nature,  supreme  in  everything,  demand 
the  collective  ownership  and  control  of  everything  for 
the  general  equitable  welfare  and  justice  for  all  alike 
and  will,  when  attained,  make  for  the  healthy,  happy, 
contented,  normal  life,  mind  and  body,  which  will  make 
our  heaven  here  on  earth,  and  the  change  when  attained 
will  convince  us  that  we  are  having  and  have  had  the 
opposite,  or  hell,  right  here  ever  since  time  began,  by 
our  ignorant,  conflicting  methods  of  life  and  govern- 
ments. 

What  is  needed  throughout  the  world  is  the  adjust- 
ment of  all  government  to  conform  and  govern  accord- 
ing to  the  laws,  and  demands  of  nature,  for  natural  laws 
are  the  supreme  laws  of  man  and  the  universe. 

Parasites 

Definition  of  parasite  (Webster's  Academic.  Diction- 
ary) :  An  animal  living  on  or  in  the  body  of  another, 
feeding  on  its  food,  blood  or  tissue,  as  lice,  tapeworm, 
etc.  Can  you  conceive  of  a  definition  that  would  fit  the 
minority  of  human  parasites  so  evident  in  our  present 
lives  and  governmental  system  than  that?  Are  not  a 
small  minority  of  humans  unjustly  and  in  opposition  to 
natural  laws  so  living  on  and  off  the  collective  labor 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  53 

and  efforts  of  working  men  and  women  and  children 
by  our  unjust  laws  and  the  unproportional  distribution, 
ownership  and  control  of  the  natural  resources  of  all 
collectively?  How  much  longer  are  we  to  allow  them 
to  feed  on  and  off  our  collective  efforts?  Isn't,  it  time 
we  organized  properly  to  govern  more  in  jaccord  to  nat- 
ural laws  and  thereby  eliminate  the  human  parasites 
as  we  would  clean  ourselves  and  drive  them  off  our 
bodies  and  destroy  them  and  the  system  which  makes 
them  paramount,  instead  (of)  insignificant  and  inferior 
which  they  are;  easily  done  by  a  sensibly  educated  in- 
dustrial party  and  intelligent  use  of  the  franchise  and 
the  ballot. 

The  Strike 

It  may  be  likened  to  a  mule  who  has  been  over- 
worked and  abused  continually.  Finally,  after  long  pe- 
riods of  suffering,  he  becomes  sulky,  stubborn,  he  balks, 
stops  right  where  he  is  in  his  work,  and  refuses  to  go 
on.  The  owner  or  driver  becomes  peeved;  he  tries, 
sometimes,  coaxing,  and  at  other  times  still  crueler  or 
harsher  treatment.  If  the  work  is  urgent,  he  makes 
every  effort  in  inducing  the  stubborn  brute  to  accede 
to  his  will,  but  if  not  so  urgent  he  simply  waits.  In  the 
first  instance  the  strike  would  be  a  partial  success,  as 
the  inducement  may  be  sufficient  to  smooth  matters  for 
a  while,  though  the  time  and  effort  lost  are  lost  to  both 
the  mule  and  the  driver.  In  the  second  instance,  the 
driver  always  wins,  as  the  brute  must  sooner  or  later 
eat  or  drink,  and  to  do  so  instinct  makes  him  seek  the 
barn,  so  he  continues  to  work,  and  sometimes  the  driver, 
being  peeved  or  sore,  diminishes  his  food  allowance, 
curses  the  brute  and  otherwise  acts  civilized  or  human; 
but  even  if  the  brute  wins  by  being  in  a  rare  case  bet- 
ter treated,  it  is  only  temporary,  as  the  driver  will  ex- 
pect still  more  work  from  the  brute,  and  as  the  condi- 
tions are  already  so  unequal  they  become  still  more  so. 
The  brute  becomes  again  peeved,  stubborn  and  halts; 
another  strike,  and  so  on  and  so  on.  Now  if  the  brute 


54  OUR  HUMAN  RIGHTS 

and  the  driver  could  or  would  understand  each  other 
and  make  an  equal,  just  condition  for  both  for  all  time, 
no  more  stubbornness,  no  more  halts  or  strikes,  but 
harmonious  work  and  co-operation  for  the  betterment 
and  benefit  of  both. 

Murder 

What  is  it,  to  murder?  Isn't  it  to  kill?  Well,  then, 
individually  it  is  called  murder;  if  many  are  killed 
in  a  clash,  it's  a  riot;  if  this  riot  takes  on  large  propor- 
tions among  various  factions  of  a  nation,  it's  called  a 
revolution,  and  if  between  various  nations  or  races,  it 
is  called  war,  but  it  is  killing  or  murder  just  the  same, 
whether  one  or  thousands  are  killed.  Now,  why  does 
anyone  kill  or  desire  to  kill  another?  Exactly  for  the 
same  reason,  individually  as  collectively,  either  because 
of  hate  for  wrongs  imposed  or  supposed,  because  of 
jealousy  or  greed  or  the  desire  to  take  or  get  something 
which  he  or  she  has  or  will  defend  to  prevent  the 
other  from  getting  or  taking  it  away.  What,  then,  is 
more  fair  and  just  than  to  properly  proportion  and  ad- 
just all  matters  and  conditions  to  a  real,  impartial  and 
more  evenly  balanced  plane  to  avert  in  the  future  all 
murder,  riots,  revolutions  and  wars?  This  does  not  seem 
impossible.  We  have  reached  up  pretty  high  in  mathe- 
matical proportion,  so  why  not  apply  it  in  a  sensible 
way  to  all  things? 

Mooney  Case 

The  possibility  of  a  condition  at  any  time  again 
arising  in  this  country  in  which  a  man  or  woman  con- 
victed by  what  may  be  considered  by  some  a  fair,  by 
others  an  extremely  unfair,  trial,  at  any  rate  where  con- 
siderable doubt  exists  as  to  the  fairness  of  the  trial  and 
proceedings,  and  furthermore  the  possibility  of  a  man 
or  woman  being  wrongly  convicted  by  methods  or  con- 
ditions perhaps  unforeseen,  and  then  no  legal  method  or 
opportunity  to  right  such  wrong,  or  even  to  grant  such 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  55 

person  so  convicted  a  new  trial  on  new,  very  strong  or, 
as  might  be,  uncontrovertible  evidence,  is  entirely  un- 
American  and  undemocratic,  and  is  entirely  opposed  to 
the  spirit  of  our  government  and  its  constitution,  and 
should  be  made  nationally  impossible  by  a  national  law 
to  prevent  or  else  make  such  conditions  impossible;  as 
might  have  been  in  this  case,  the  Mooney  case,  the  stain 
of  a  legal  murder  on  our  state  and  national  government, 
or,  better  still,  the  elimination  of  capital  punishment  as 
a  national,  progressive  measure,  with  the  extreme  pen- 
alty of  imprisonment  for  life  for  those  mentally  afflicted 
to  the  verge  of  crime,  of  an  extreme  nature,  with  a  pos- 
sibility of  a  cure  for  the  afflicted  under  scientific  treat- 
ment, crime  being  unavoidable  or  merely  one  of  the  by- 
products of  our  present  system  of  unjust,  disproportional 
government  and  living. 

The  Irish  Question 

Looking  at  this,  the  Irish  question,  or  Irish  inde- 
pendence, from  a  broad  view,  especially  from  the  Eng- 
lish standpoint,  though  there  are  many  narrow-minded, 
selfish  and  spiteful  people  in  all  races,  would  it  not  be 
better,  more  economical  and  yes,  even  more  humane,  to 
consent  to  Irish  self  government  in  form  and  plan  sim- 
ilar to  that  by  which  the  United  States  tolerates  the 
self-government  of  Cuba,  in  preference  to  the  continual 
conflict  raging  internally  and  externally  between  Eng- 
land and  Ireland,  by  which  by  various  methods  the 
safety  and  lives  of  millions  of  humans  may  at  some  time 
be  sacrificed  by  another  world  conflict?  Is  the  stake 
and  principle  involved  worth  such  a  price  in  human  life, 
not  counting  the  cost  in  destruction  of  property,  asking 
merely  a  safeguard,  England  insisting  on  a  first  prefer- 
ment treaty  for  commercial  intercourse  between  England 
and  Ireland,  and  vice  versa ;  also  the  constitutional  pro- 
vision and  protection  of  religious  liberty  for  those  of 
Irish  birth,  not  of  the  dominating  factions,  and  separa- 
tion of  church  from  political  government  and  its  officials 
and  institutions.  This  with  Ireland  as  a  self-governing, 


56  OUR  HUMAN  RIGHTS 

independent  English  protectorate,  relieving  Ireland  of 
naval  and  military  taxation  and  its  burden,  and  also 
England  of  the  constant  burden  of  supervisional  and 
occupational  expense  and  the  continual  bickerings  and 
strife  and  the  dangerous  world  propaganda,  ought  to 
solve  and  relieve  the  Irish  situation — it  might  at  least 
be  worth  a  trial. 

Aliens 

If  an  alien  comes  or  goes  to  any  country,  no  matter 
from  what  country  he  may  come  or  to  which  country 
he  may  go,  it  is  his  bounden  duty  to  work  for  and  so 
conduct  himself  as  to  improve  the  country  to  which  he 
goes  to  live  and  make  his  home,  and  do  nothing  which 
might  injure  the  general  welfare  of  the  people  and  coun- 
try to  which  he  has  gone  to  live ;  otherwise  he  is  simply 
an  agent  of  the  country  he  presents  and  endeavors  to 
subvert  the  interests  of  that  country  to  which  he  has 
migrated  for  that  of  his  preference.  Let  each  alien 
make  his  preference  and  then  go  and  live  and  work 
for  and  in  the  country  he  chooses,  and  become  a  worthy 
citizen  thereof  without  injuring  or  endangering  the  gen- 
eral welfare  of  a  nation  or  of  all  humanity  by  a  nar- 
row, selfish,  racial  or  religious  propaganda.  Especially 
should  we  expect  a  man  who  makes  his  home  in  the 
United  States  to  be  a  worthy  citizen  thereof,  and  when 
he  comes  here  to  be  such.  This  must  and  should  be 
the  country  that  he  should  try  to  improve,  even  at  the 
expense  of  that  country  from  which  he  came,  not  ex- 
pecting him  to  do  anything  against  the  land  of  his  birth 
or  that  of  his  relations  or  ancestors  unjustly,  except  in 
the  extreme  of  war,  when  he  knows  where  his  alle- 
giance belongs;  but  by  all  means  not  to  use  this  coun- 
try for  a  stamping  ground  of  national  discontent  to  in- 
volve us  with  all  races  and  nations  from  which  these 
aliens  come. 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  57 

Confiscation 

In  accordance  to  Webster's  Dictionary,  confiscation, 
the  meaning  thereof  (seized  and  appropriated  by  the 
government  for  public  use),  and  forfeited  (to  seize  as 
forfeited,  and  appropriate  to  public  use).  Confiscation, 
then,  according  to  this  meaning  and  explanation,  when 
for  the  public  use  or  general  welfare,  is  justified,  as  im- 
plied by  its  meaning  and  interpretation  in  the  dictionary. 
That  far,  even,  I  don't  go  or  expect  to  go,  though  from 
the  very  nature  of  our  system  and  governments  con- 
fiscation has  been  in  existence  since  the  beginning  of 
things,  and  is  still  with  us,  in  its  worst  form,  because 
it  is  unproportional  confiscation.  If  it  were  proportional 
confiscation  it  would  cease  to  be. confiscation  and  would 
become  simply  our  just  allotment  of  the  rights  and  re- 
sources of  nature,  as  nature  intended.  Now  the  re- 
sources of  nature  and  the  rights  of  its  subjects — the 
natural  owners  thereof — have  been  confiscated  in  un- 
just manner  and  proportion,  as  I  prove,  from  time  im- 
memorable.  Therefore,  would  it  be  an  injustice  to  any- 
body if  in  the  future  we  adjusted  the  rights  and  re- 
sources to  a  system  of  collective  proportional  distribu- 
tion for  the  general  welfare,  and  the  only  method  where- 
by this  is  possible  without  confiscation — the  collective 
governmental  ownership  and  operation?  Now  let  us 
further  analyze  confiscation.  Our  present  methods  and 
system  operate  under  disproportional  legalized  confis- 
cation, whereby,  a  few,  a  bare  minority  are  continually 
benefited  at  the  expense  of  a  vast  majority  and  con- 
tinually confiscating  the  rights  and  resources  of  the  ma- 
jority— even  taxation,  which  is  partial  disproportional 
reconfiscation,  might  become  unnecessary  if  we  substi- 
tuted natural  collective  distribution  and  redistribution 
of  the  collective  earnings  and  savings  of  utilities  and 
resources  to  the  individual  citizenry  of  the  community, 
state  or  nation. 


58  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

Americanization 

Would  you  stand  for  your  friends  or  distant  rela- 
tions bringing  their  home  affairs  or  family  disputes  and 
quarrels  into  your  own  home  and  fighting  them  out 
there  and  involving  you  personally  in  their  quarrels? 
Isn't  that  the  Americanism  or  Americanization  you  en- 
dorse, or  are  endorsing  when  you  allow  any  or  various 
alien  races  or  their  offspring  to  involve  us  in  various  and 
continual  conflicts  with  other  nations?  Would  other 
nations  allow  us  the  right  to  do  a  similar  thing  in 
their  various  other  countries?  They  would  instantly  re- 
sent this  with  all  the  force  at  their  command.  And 
isn't  this  going  into  other  nations'  internal  affairs,  the 
right  of  which  you  question;  and  justly  so;  until  we 
have  a  larger  international  conception  of  government 
than  at  present  anticipated;  in  and  by  the  League  of 
Nations.  Our  pledge  for  citizenship  demands  the  repu- 
diation of  the  country  and  its  rulers,  from  whence  such 
candidates  for  citizenship  came,  but  does  not  substi- 
tute therefore  the  right  to  citizenship  and  its  use  or  the 
service  thereof  for  other  races  or  nations,  or  their  aspi- 
rations or  ideals.  In  the  League  of  Nations  there  would 
or  should  only  as  yet,  be  heard  or  adjusted  the  differ- 
ences or  conflict  of  opinion  and  authority  thereof;  of 
disputes  as  between  nation  and  nation,  not  an  integral 
or  associate  of;  as  the  case  might  sometimes  be,  an 
undisputed  part  of  such  country  of  a  friendly  nation  at 
peace  and  desiring  to  so  remain,  if  not  unjustly  pro- 
voked in  its  internal  rights  and  affairs. 

It  was  the  similar  manner  and  methods  of  the  Ger- 
man aliens,  their  allies  and  adopted  or  naturalized  citi- 
zens thereof,  using  this  our  common  country  for  their 
propaganda  and  acting  as  agents  for  their  former  mas- 
ters, governments  and  institutions,  that  brought  us  into 
the  recently  passed  conflict  and  made  us  pay  the  price 
in  lives  and  resources  and  its  future  consequences  and 
burden,  even  though  we  have  achieved  the  victory  not 
so  much  for  ourselves,  but  for  the  very  agents  and  their 
governments  by  aiding  to  change  their  former  govern- 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  59 

ment  into  one  more  suitable  for  justice  and  equality, 
but  this  is  what  it  seems  we  are  associated  and  organ- 
ized for  by  propagandists,  to  continually  fight  for  and 
pay  for  other  nations*  internal  governmental  affairs, 
when  we  can  pay  a  much  smaller  price  for  our  pro  ratio 
in  a  league  of  nations  and  really  preserve  what  we  aim 
to  preserve — the  continual  and  perpetual  peace  of  man- 
kind as  between  nation  and  nation,  not  interfering,  as 
before  stated,  in  their  internal  affairs  of  government. 

Human  Nature 

"As  long  as  men  and  women  are  constituted  as  they 
are,  there  must  be  evils." 

Quite  natural.  But  why  has  no  religion  helped  to, 
or  entirely  changed  men  or  women  to  be  differently  or 
properly  constituted?  My  answer  is  that  its  teachings 
do  not  harmonize  or  proportion  according  to  natural 
laws.  Therefore  men  and  women  are  constituted  as 
they  are  today  and  not  as  they  ought  to  be  constituted — 
in  equalized,  harmonized  and  normal  conditions — only 
possible  by  and  with  collective,  co-operative  government 
for  the  general,  paramount  welfare  of  all  by  natural  evo- 
lutionary process  and  progress,  as  nature  intended  and 
for  which  she  provided  her  sufficient,  abundant  re- 
sources to  be  properly  and  justly  proportioned. 

The  Fools'  Paradise 

Whenever  the  working  people  become  sufficiently 
educated  to  organize  politically  and  use  their  collective 
unified  political  power  for  their  own  welfare,  as  the 
other  political  organizations  are  using  their  power 
against  labor  and  in  favor  of  greed  and  privilege,  then 
this  fool's  paradise  will  end  and  the  real  paradise  begin. 

Franchise  Restriction 

Charter  amendment  sought  by  San  Francisco  Wel- 
fare League  to  allow  no  one  to  vote  on  or  at  bond  elec- 
tions who  has  less  than  $500  worth  of  real  property. 


60  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

How  absurd.  Why  not  seek  a  charter  amendment  that 
will  guarantee  each  individual  at  least  $500  worth  of 
real  property  in  the  richest  nation  in  the  world,  by  op- 
erating and  controlling  the  wealth  and  resources  of  all 
for  all  and  thereby  giving  and  guaranteeing  to  all  a  just, 
equal  proportion  for  the  labor  and  effort  they  bestow  on 
themselves  and  the  community,  thereby  increasing  the 
interest  in  the  community  welfare  and  rewarding  the 
just  efforts  of  all,  or  real  reward  for  real  merit?  Does 
the  San  Francisco  Welfare  League  believe  the  com- 
munity's welfare  would  be  endangered  by  excess  or  un- 
necessary bond  issues  if  all  the  community,  collectively, 
were  vitally  interested? 

Labor  Leaders  in  Politics 

Of  course  labor  leaders,  put  into  political  office  by 
appointment  or  by  nomination  by  the  parties  represent- 
ing special  privilege  and  vested  interests,  cannot  be  ex- 
pected to  serve  labor  justly  or  fairly.  But  if  they  were 
members  of  and  appointed  or  elected  by  or  through  a 
national  labor  party  or  non-partisan  party,  and  respon- 
sible to  the  majority  for  the  majority  welfare  under  a 
proper,  reconstructed  constitution,  or  the  proper  inter- 
pretation of  our  present  sufficient  fundamental  laws  or 
the  preamble  thereof,  and  also  an  efficient,  effective  ref- 
erendum and  recall,  then  labor  leaders  would  and  could 
be  expected  to  work  for  proper  control  and  legislation 
of  all  vital  public  affairs  in  which  labor  is  vitally  inter- 
ested, and  so  miserably  neglected  by  those  who  live 
off,  but  seldom  do  sufficient  labor  for,  the  portion  that 
they  squander  and  waste. 

Collective  Bargaining 

At  a  recent  meeting  in  behalf  of  the  League  of  Na- 
tions project,  held  at  the  San  Francisco  Auditorium,  I 
heard  one  former  president,  the  Hon.  Wm.  Howard 
Taft,  endorse  the  principle  of  collective  bargaining  in 
labor  disputes.  While  this  is  an  advance  step  or  pro- 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  61 

gressive  method  of  treating  with  organized  labor,  it  will 
not  solve  the  problem  of  labor,  its  disputes,  strikes  or 
its  continuous  recurring  conflicts  with  capital,  privilege, 
greed  and  exploitation.  The  only  final  solution  of  the 
labor  problem  is  collective  government,  the  collective 
operation,  ownership  and  control  of  all  necessities  and 
essentials  for  the  collective  welfare.  The  two  absolute 
essentials  in  life  of  and  for  the  community,  state  or 
nation  are  labor  and  government ;  or,  in  plainer  words, 
labor  and  the  product  or  fruits  thereof  must  be  prop- 
erly proportioned  and  distributed  through  and  by  or 
with  various  forms  of  government.  In  the  beginning 
of  things,  or  the  evolution  of  mankind,  there  were  no 
individual  or  corporate  capitalists — the  capital  at  that 
time  consisted  of  the  same  things  as  today — the  re- 
sources of  nature — to  be  had  by  efforts  in  labor  with 
sufficient  for  all,  and  the  earth  at  that  time  really  be- 
longed to  its  natural  inhabitants,  collectively,  instead 
of  a  small  minority,  as  at  present. 

The  League  of  Nations 

The  League  of  Nations,  now  happily  endorsed 
and  agreed  to  by  the  Allied  peace  conference  through 
the  earnest  efforts  of  our  great  president,  Woodrow 
Wilson,  is  a  very  vital  necessity  and  an  earnest  effort, 
or,  rather,  a  beginning,  at  universal  international  gov- 
ernment, similar  to  the  formation  of  our  republic,  the 
beginning  in  democratic  government,  now  happily 
spreading  over  the  earth  for  the  betterment  and  en- 
lightenment of  humanity.  Its  purpose,  the  elimination 
of  war,  that  inhuman  curse  of  mankind,  the  wholesale 
legalized  murder  of  humans,  its  horrors  and  its  sacri- 
fices, cannot  but  be  commended  by  all  sane,  sensible, 
reasonable  human  beings,  no  matter  of  what  race,  color, 
creed  or  class;  and  as  to  the  argument  of  the  opposi- 
tion using  Washington's  warning  against  entangling 
alliances,  this  League  of  Nations  project  is  just  the  op- 
posite of  an  entangling  alliance — its  object  and  purposes 
are  to  prevent  us  from  becoming,  in  the  future,  entang- 


62  OUR  HUMAN   RIGHTS 

led  with  any  individual  nation  or  any  alliance  that  aimed 
or  framed  against  us  by  other  nations,  forming  alliances 
as  they  surely  would  and  must  to  protect  themselves 
from  each  other  or  groups  of  nations  opposed  to  their 
various  interests,  thereby  leaving  us  entirely  isolated 
and  at  the  mercy  of  any  nation  or  group  of  nations  pre- 
paring against  our  welfare,  or  having  designs  on  our 
institutions,  necessitating  of  course  on  our  part  con- 
tinual, excessive  armament,  large  military  and  naval  and 
now  an  added  submarine  and  aerial  force,  universal 
compulsory  service,  etc.,  and  all  unnecessarily  so  if 
in  time  by  international  agreement  and  action  we  can 
harmonize  the  various  conflicting  interests  to  sane,  sen- 
sible methods  of  understanding  and  dealing  with  one 
another  for  the  general  welfare  of  all;  and  who  of  the 
opposition  can  deny  that  in  any  future  conflict  of  any 
fair  size  or  extended  scope  we  would  be  drawn  in,  as 
in  the  present  instance,  by  conflicting  methods  or  the 
interpretation  thereof,  magnified  by  belligerents  at  war 
manifold,  thereby  simply  staging  the  same  disgusting 
performance  over  and  over  again  without  even  an  effort 
at  something  advanced,  saner,  and  better? 

Unemployment 

Unemployment  is  not  due  to  underconsumption  or 
over-production.  There  would  be  no  underconsump- 
tion nor  excessive  over-production  if  it  were  not  for 
the  general  disproportion  of  things.  This  is  the  cause 
of  unemployment  now.  For  the  only  sure  and  perma- 
nent cure,  I  suggest  the  proper  proportion  of  hours, 
wages,  conditions,  etc.,  harmony  with  necessary  and 
essential  production,  fixed  by  law  and  properly  and  sen- 
sibly balanced.  There  then  would  be  a  sensible,  pro- 
gressive step  in  the  right  direction,  eliminating  in  time 
strikes  and  the  continual  conflict  between  labor  and  its 


ACCORDING  TO  NATURE  63 

exploiters  for  excess  profits  and  unjust  gains,  and  sta- 
bilizing conditions  for  both  labor  and  capital  as  long 
as  these  two  classes  must  continue  to  oppose  each  other, 
until  finally  harmonized  into  collective,  scientific,  eco- 
nomic government  for  their  equal  and  general  welfare. 


k 


25  1926 


7,'25 


Gaylord  Bros. 

Makers 

Syracuse,  N  Y. 
P^T.  JAM.  21,  1908 


VB 


393420 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


